Columns

"Because there is widespread Arab concern with Iran's quest to be the region's dominant power and because its role in Iraq and elsewhere in the Gulf is viewed negatively, pluralities in most countries express support for the GCC's new assertiveness, wanting the GCC to reject Iran's push for regional dominance. Pluralities also give positive grades to the GCC's role in Bahrain and its efforts in trying to hasten an end to the conflict in Yemen and transition to a new government....Clearly, Iran's behavior has contributed to this stunning turn-about in its fortunes in the Arab World. But there are other factors, as well."

"The only way forward is through national dialogue leading to a process of transition. Because of its penchant for control and violence, the regime has forfeited the right to lead this transformation. If they stop the violence, they, and the social forces they still represent, can participate. If they do not, the violence and the protests will continue, potentially spiraling downward, leading to chaos....An expanded regional contact group, which must include Arab participation, can play a critical role in working to convince the regime to abandon its self-destructive behavior, assisting the opposition, and facilitating the national dialogue. First, however, the violence must end, because what is at stake at this point is more than legitimacy. It is the future of the country, its people, and the stability of the entire region."

“Let us be frank about it. One of the chief motives is that the Jews have a controlling voice in the election for the President in the States of New York, Illinois, Ohio and elsewhere in America. I suggest that the chief reason for this evil proposal of U.N.O. is that the political parties in America, or their party machines, are partly at the electoral mercy of the Jews. That is public knowledge.” -- British MP Thomas Reid on the passage pf the Partition Plan, 1947

"If anything, the results of this latest poll of Arab opinion demonstrates how precarious the position of the United States is in the Middle East and how important it has become for American policy makers to pay attention to what Arabs are saying to us. Some may play politics with critical Middle East issues and gloat at their success at having stymied the President's efforts to make peace and restore America’s image in the region. But as the results of this survey make clear, their success has come at a price; one that is being paid by the entire country."

"Palestinian unity, the political boost that would come from a strong U.N. vote and an expanded mass non-violent resistance effort in the occupied territories -  just might help to do the trick. It would give the Palestinians  a much needed shot in the arm and it would force the Israelis to debate and rethink their policies and the costs associated with their behaviors. On the other hand, listening to the U.S. and backing away from reconciliation, and dropping the U.N. vote (in much the same way the P.A. listened to the U.S. and initially dropped the U.N. human rights report on the Gaza War) - would be devastating to the Palestinian leadership, would only serve to further embolden Israeli hardliners,  and would, in the end,  make peace even more remote than it is today."

"Given its neighborhood and the weakness of its institutions (after more than 30 years of occupation and war), and given the roles, positive or negative, that Afghanistan's neighbors can (and have played) and the fact that each has a direct interest in the stability of the country, Afghanistan can't and doesn't stand a chance of finding that stability on its own. What we should, therefore, be working toward is a political solution that invests all of Afghanistan's neighbors in the creation of a regional security framework. The U.S. might be loathe to convene such a standing security arrangement and to hand it off to the U.N., but this option is to be weighed against the burden of continuing this war without end or the bitter consequences that would follow withdrawal."

“If a reporter doesn’t question, he’s no better than Judith Miller, who was a glorified stenographer for the Pentagon while masquerading as a New York Times reporter. Isn’t a free press supposed to serve the public good, not the government’s self-interest?” -- Brian Cohen

"What was especially disturbing about this particular exchange was the silence of GOP leaders in the days that followed the debate. Their refusal to condemn these displays of bigotry and intolerance only adds to the concern that the party is courting extremist currents and, as a result, has continued on a dangerous right-ward drift."