Is Massive U.S. Aid Helping South Sudan?
The United States has a long tradition of helping distant strangers. But many Americans now question our ability to do good in faraway lands. Few places are more remote—and troubled—than this one.
Shabab Bombings May Be a Sign of Weakness
At first glance, the images of overturned tables and blood-soaked walls seemed to tell a familiar story. The setting—Kampala, the laid-back capital of Uganda, during the World Cup championship last week—was new, but the lesson of the latest global terrorist bombings was by now routine: jihadi groups are ruthless, unpredictable, and prone to metastasize. Chaotic backwaters in the Horn of Africa can spawn threats just as dangerous as those in the Middle East and South Asia.
How to Fight the Other Jihadistan
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is a loose cannon once dubbed Little Saddam—and a pivotal ally in our war on terror.
Yemen's Mixed Results in the War on Terror
Yemen, where the underpants bomber trained for his attack, fights on America's side in the war on terror. But how effective can it really be?
A Profile of Nir Barkat, Jerusalem's Mayor
Correction (published Sept. 24, 2009): This story originally reported that Nir Barkat was a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party. Barkat has never belonged.
How Salam Fayyad Will Save Palestine--Or Not
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's unorthodox approach is winning plaudits from the West. That could be his undoing.
How Shimon Peres Reinvented Israel's Presidency
Israel's president, the old hand Shimon Peres, has transformed the office from a ceremonial backwater to a new center of gravity.
Israel's Settlements Can Be Stopped
The number of Jewish settlers in the Palestinian territories has more than doubled since 1993, but the numbers are misleading. The fastest-growing cohort—nearly one third—are the ultra-Orthodox, who tend to be far less hawkish than the ultranationalists removed from Gaza in 2005.
Why Israel's Foreign Minister Is Absent From Talks
This week marks intense U.S.-Israel negotiations. So where is Israel's foreign minister?
Ehud Olmert's Lament
Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is proof of the perils of reining in settlements. He's also proof of why Washington should try.
War on Terror: The Key to Closing Gitmo
Can jihadists really be reformed? Closing Guantanamo may depend on it.
Israel Cracks Down on Military Dodgers
Israel's hawkish new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in office for only a little more than a month, yet some Israeli doves say they're already seeing signs of new hardline security measures.
Yemen's President Cites Independence From U.S.
Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has long governed a tinderbox. His party survived armed clashes with separatist rebels in the country's south and Houthi tribesmen in the north.
Growing Apart: Israel's Arabs and Jews
Acre was a rare oasis of calm. Now hate and fear have taken charge.
Israelis Find Humor in Undecided Election
Some Israelis find humor in their chaotic, too-close-to-call election.
Orly Levy, Israel's Rising Right-Wing Candidate
Never mind Benjamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni. Israelis are chattering about the candidacy of Orly Levy, a 35-year-old former fashion model running for Parliament from the state's hard-right Israel Beitenu party.
An Israeli Supermodel's Bid For Knesset
Never mind the two front runners for prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni. Israelis are chattering about Orly Levy, 35, a former fashion model running for Parliament from the state's hard-right Israel Beitenu Party.
Israel's Gaza Dilemma: How the War Helps Hamas
The war has revived Israel's leftists, but it's killing their chances of a deal with Palestinian moderates.
Tony Blair on the Gaza Crisis, and What's Next
Tony Blair, now international envoy to the Middle East, on how to stop the fighting in Gaza.
As Hamas Fights, Fatah Mulls Its Next Move
With Hamas under siege, secular Fatah mulls its next move.
Gaza: Books on the Winding Road to Mideast Peace
Three recent books chart the winding path from Kermit Roosevelt with his suitcases stuffed with cash to George W. Bush's gloomy Nobel Prize prospects.
How NATO Can Help Speed Arab-Israeli Peace
Israel has long been allergic to foreign troops meddling in its affairs. That's now changing.
Israel Keeps Mum About India's Botched Rescue
Outrage over India's handling of the Nariman House siege has given way to a colder calculation.
Peace Deal May Depend On International Presence
Israelis and Palestinians seem to realize that a strong international presence will be critical to any deal.
The Return of Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky fights to save democracy promotion from the wreck of the Bush administration.
Obama and Netanyahu's Complex Relationship
One morning this past summer, Barack Obama sat down around a conference table in Jerusalem's King David Hotel with Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel's Likud Party.
Israel's Central Banker on the Economic Crisis
The country's central banker on Ben Bernanke and the global economic crisis.
An End to Dubai's Building Boom?
Will the global credit crunch finally put an end to the emirate's building boom?
Israel: The Problem with Peace Talks
The one thing Mideast talks are producing is more settlements.