Is it possible that we are on the threshold of an end to the devastating half-dozen years of civil war in Yemen — regarded by some scholars and Middle East watchers as today’s most serious international crisis? Fresh diplomatic initiatives, led so far by the United States, signal an already fast-moving way ahead. On…
New Year resolutions that matter. There are millions of these, circulating the globe. Here are some of my favorites — past and present. All are a public diplomacy challenge to the U.S. and its allies, as noted below. 1.The tragedy of COVID-19 continues to be overwhelming, especially in developing countries. New York Times columnist Nicholas…
From a tiny Persian Gulf country to brightly decorated homes throughout America, new friendships span faith traditions and signal hope and peace for countless millions in the year ahead. Washington Post correspondent Steve Hendrix visits Dubai to observe the arrival in brightly illuminated market squares of an unprecedented tour by an estimated 10,000 Israeli Jews,…
An estimated 100,000 people have lost their lives or been seriously injured in Yemen’s half a decade long civil war, with scant evidence of an approaching end to what some have described as “interminable human suffering.” The key adversaries are: the rebel Houthis now controlling much of northern Yemen and part of its capital city,…
AMERICA’S ELECTION: POSSIBLE IMPACTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST In the wake of Joe Biden’s razor-thin victory in the November 3 presidential election, speculation is wide about the impact of a new administration next year on U.S. foreign policy in the turmoil-plagued Middle East. In his initial remarks on November 7th after winning a clear majority…
1. WHITE HOUSE CEREMONIES AND PHOTO OPS: Veteran Middle East experts, public diplomacy hands, and White House observers will remember two dates that attracted intense international media attention and stimulated great optimism: March 26, 1979, and September 13, 1993. Both marked Middle East peace progress and produced iconic foreign policy photo ops and “deliverables” from the…
That was President Trump’s characterization of the treaty signings at the White House September 15 of the first agreements in more than a quarter of a century between Israel and a pair of tiny Arab Persian Gulf states, the United Arab Republic (UAE) and Bahrain. The announcement was rolled out for maximum public diplomacy. But…
1.“TRACKING” CURRENT U.S. AMBASSADORS: With the constant turnover in U.S. heads of missions and challenges getting nominees speedy Senate confirmation, it is not always easy to keep track of who today’s ambassadors are. The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), therefore, provides a terrific public service by posting a list of who presently is running each…
Mohammed Ghuneim, former director of the VOA Arabic Service and frontline Middle East correspondent during the last half of the 20th century, died May 16 in West Palm Beach, Florida. He had just celebrated his 90th birthday last December. A funeral service and burial were held on May 18 in West Palm Beach. Born in…
Surveying the world scene as a new year and new decade dawns, many would agree, on the basis of events this past year that there aren’t many rays of hope on the horizon. 2019: —As Middle East Institute President Paul Salem describes the year past: “In the Middle East and North Africa, there were five…