More on What Syrians think of Obama

Saturday, December 13, 2008

One month after Obama’s victory, I scoured the streets of Damascus to talk to Syrians, Palestinians, and Iraqis about Obama for Aljazeera.net’s coverage of public opinion of the president-elect in the Middle East’s hotspots. To read about the cynicism over Obama on the streets of Damascus, click here.

Syrians Ambivalent over Obama Victory

Friday, November 07, 2008

In Damascus, the prevailing reaction to Barack Obama’s victory as the next president of the United States is markedly ambivalent, if reservedly hopeful. Discussions here about the U.S. elections tend to revolve around the end of the current administration, more than faith in the next. As the world exploded into unprecidented celebration for the victory of a US president, Syrians were saying, “Inshallah, he will be better than the last guy.”

I wrote about Syrians’ response to Obama’s victory for New America Media.

Middle East Hit by US Financial Crisis

Thursday, October 09, 2008 - published by New America Media

Even oil-rich Arab countries, which until recently were smug about being insulated from the financial debacle on Wall Street, are starting to worry. Analysts are predicting that they are sure to increase regulations and start pulling their economies away from the United States.

Washington is Losing its Man in Baghdad

Monday, September 15, 2008

SANA’A, Yemen — Washington seems to be losing its man in Baghdad. Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister who has faithfully defended U.S. interests in Iraq since he was elected in 2006, has lately been defying his patron.

In late August, Al-Maliki made his boldest move as prime minister, stating that no foreign troops would be allowed to remain in Iraq after 2011. His assertion was a blow to the Bush administration’s attempts to secure a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), needed to legalize its continued presence in Iraq after its UN mandate expires at the end of the year.

Eye on the Middle East: Political Alliances Shifting Like Sand

Saturday, August 30, 2008

SANA’A, Yemen--The complicated web of political alliances in the Middle East is shifting.

An unlikely coalition between Shiites and hard line Sunnis has sprung up in Lebanon in the interest of confronting the United States and Israel. Jordan is renewing its relationship with Hamas, while Syria is flirting with Russia and still toying with the idea of peace with Israel. Meanwhile, Iran’s relationship toward Iraq’s Shiites might be swinging in a new direction.