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In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

11/13/08
The View from Gaza  —Taghreed El-Khodary, New York Times journalist in Gaza and Harvard University Nieman Fellow (2005-2006). Interviewed by Middle East Bulletin.
11/04/08
Getting on the Right Track  —Dalia Rabin, chairperson, Rabin Center, and daughter of the late Yitzhak Rabin. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.
10/23/08
Bottom-Up Meets Top-Down for Progress  —Robert Danin, Head of Mission, Office of Quartet Representative Tony Blair and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.

Setting the Record Straight

U.S. Policy Strengthens Iran

"Simply put, without permanent bases in Iraq, a nuclear capable Islamic Republic cannot be contained."
—Michael Rubin, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute, "Can a Nuclear Iran Be Contained or Deterred?" Middle Eastern Outlook, November 5, 2008 versus
  • “[B]y attacking Iraq, we automatically made Iran a regional power. We took out their major adversary in Iraq, and we neutralized, if only temporarily, the Taliban, on the other side. And so now we see not only that they are regional powers, but clearly indications of aspirations to be perhaps a hegemon in the area, their role in Iraq, their role in Syria, in Lebanon as well. And I can tell you, and I think you’ve heard it already, that there is real fear among the GCC countries about where all of this is going. All of them have minorities, in one case it’s not a minority, it’s a majority of Shias, and as the Sheika correctly pointed out, they can’t exchange Iran for some place else.”
    —General Joseph P. Hoar (USMC, Ret.), former commander of U.S. Central Command (1991-94), National Council On U.S.-Arab Relations, 17th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, October 30, 2008

    • Middle East Analysis

    A Difficult Debate in Congress

    August 8, 2007

    Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)

    On June 21, 2007, the House debated an amendment to the foreign operations bill conditioning aid to Egypt:

    House Foreign Affairs Committee Member Jeff Fortenberry (R - NE): Mr. Chairman, it is critical to remember that our friend and ally Egypt led the Arab world in establishing a model for peaceful cooperation in the Middle East. The Camp David Accords ushered in an unprecedented era of cooperation between Egypt and the United States, as well as between Egypt and Israel. …

    Egypt has been the cultural and historical center of the Arab world and is poised to play a significant role in fostering peace and maintaining a very delicate balance of stability in the Middle East. Even now, as my colleague mentioned, Egyptian President Mubarak is preparing for an emergency summit with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Palestinian President Abbas to address the potentially explosive situation in Gaza.

    Mr. Chairman, I fully understand the desire of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to see progress on human rights and civil reform in Egypt . I deeply share this concern as well and eagerly look for the right mechanism to achieve this goal. But I oppose the methodology of penalizing our diplomatic and military cooperation efforts.

    U.S.-Middle East policy is complex and a delicate undertaking, at best. And despite the good intentions here, I fear that section 699 [which would condition part of U.S. assistance to Egypt on certification that Egypt adheres to basic human rights standards] could backfire and harm one of our best and most vital strategic relationships in the region.

    Chairman of the Appropriations Committee David R. Obey (D-WI): We have a dilemma. Egypt is an important and welcome ally. I have always considered them to be a friend. They have played a very constructive role in the Middle East. But in recent years, I am sad to say, Egypt has displayed an increasingly brutal repression of freedom that is contrary to everything that America is supposed to stand for. …

    We have to speak out… I do not naively believe that we can force democracy down the throats of a region that has had little experience with it. We have seen in the case of Hamas how democratic forms can be abused and subverted by undemocratic means. But, nonetheless, I do believe that we have an obligation to expect that countries with whom we are so closely associated will perform within certain norms of decency when it comes to the question of human rights.

    To indicate our concern, while still expressing our respect for a treasured friend, we have fenced $200 million in military aid until the administration can honestly certify that Egypt has greatly improved its human rights conduct and has done more to effectively prevent the illicit supply of arms from being smuggled into Gaza.

    In my view, this is a balanced approach. It does not cut off aid. It leaves options open. …

    It is a balanced approach. It is a nuanced approach. It is aimed at military aid, because only the military in the Egyptian government, in my view, has the influence to make this come to a responsible and friendly conclusion.