Gourt > Regional > Middle East (2554)
The Middle East is a historical and cultural subregion of Africa-Eurasia traditionally held to be countries or regions in Southwest Asia together with Egypt. In other contexts, the region can include other parts of North Africa and/or Central Asia.
Characteristics
In the Western world, the Middle East is generally thought of as a predominantly Islamic Arabic community defined by frequent war. However the area encompasses many distinct cultural and ethnic groups, including the Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Azeris, Berbers, Chaldeans, Druze, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Maronites, Persians and Turks. The main language groups include: Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian (also known as Aramaic and Syriac), Hebrew, Persian, Kurdish and Turkish. The corresponding adjective is Middle-Eastern and the derived noun is Middle-Easterner.
Most Western definitions of the "Middle East" — in both established reference books and common usage — define the region as 'nations in Southwest Asia, from Iran (Persia) to Egypt'. Egypt, with its Sinai Peninsula in Asia, is often considered part of the 'Middle East', although most of the country lies geographically in North Africa. North African nations without Asian links, such as Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, are increasingly being called North African — as opposed to Middle Eastern (Iran (Persia) to Egypt-Asia) — by international media outlets.
One widely used definition of "Middle East" is that of the airline industry, maintained by the IATA standards organization. This definition — as of early 2006 — includes Bahrain, Egypt, Iran (Persia), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestinian Territory, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. * This definition is used in world-wide airfare and tax calculations for passengers and cargo.
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The Economist: Middle East and Africa
The opposition goes for broke
Thu, 15 May 2008 13:08:34 -0000
Zimbabwe's opposition leader heads home to risk fighting another electionAFTER a month on safari abroad, trying to befriend leaders all over Africa, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the embattled opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has decided to go home and risk contesting a presidential election run-off. As The Economist went to press, he was poised to fly back, having already missed at least one deadline to do so.No one knows whether Mr Tsvangirai will be able, on his return, to move freely around the country. No one knows, more crucially, whether people will be able to vote freely or whether their votes will be honestly counted. Yet, though independent observers assume Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, and his people will do their worst on all such fronts, giving him a big built-in advantage in the contest, there is still a chance that a groundswell of opposition?and the courage and desperation of MDC voters?may give Mr Tsvangirai the edge, as it did in the first round. But few are confident he will win. ...
Leaders united in the doldrums
Thu, 15 May 2008 13:08:34 -0000
A sense of aimlessness as Israel celebrates its anniversaryGEORGE BUSH'S second visit to Israel in a year seemed even more pointless than his first one. Having come in January in a failed attempt to push forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that he launched at Annapolis in November, he flew in this week to make a speech for the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence.In any event, Mr Bush's influence since Annapolis seems to have been marginal. The two sides' negotiating teams have continued to meet, as have Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister. People familiar with the talks even report warm relations and progress between the two leaders. But the Israelis have already downgraded the goal from a peace deal by the end of the year to a ?framework agreement?, with no clues as to how specific that might be. Increasingly urgent American requests that Israel remove roadblocks and take other steps to improve life for Palestinians in the West Bank, where Mr Abbas holds sway, have been largely ignored. ...
A bloody tit-for-tat
Thu, 15 May 2008 13:08:34 -0000
The Darfur disaster threatens to become even more of a regional catastrophePICKING through the knotted bundle of clothes in a police station in Omdurman, close to Sudan's capital, Khartoum, the security man emerges with a ragged cap in his hand. ?Chad?, he says triumphantly, pointing to the flag emblazoned on its front. More rummaging produces a handful of identification cards, clearly recognisable as belonging to Chadian soldiers. He points to a row of shells on the ground; they too seem to come from Chad. At dusk on May 10th, a rebel group from Darfur calling itself the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) descended on the city of Omdurman, just to the west of Khartoum. Its target was the presidential palace, directly across the Nile. The attack was thwarted by government soldiers, who hastily blockaded the bridges. Within days, the assault had fizzled. But to the government in Khartoum, and to the Arabs who have run the country since independence in 1956, it was a terrible shock. It has dangerously widened a conflict that has been concentrated for the past four years in the western region of Darfur, where as many as 300,000 people may have died. And it raised the rare prospect of a conventional war between two African countries, Sudan and Chad. ...
Looking more closely at the killings
Thu, 15 May 2008 13:08:34 -0000
Can art make the politicians try harder?THE torched body lies in the dirt, at the side of the road. Maybe it is a man; upturned, with charred hands and legs curled into claws, the face melted away to reveal yellow buckteeth, it looks more like a rodent. The charcoal skull is hatched with blade marks, perhaps the cause of death.Such are the violent images on display at an exhibition called ?Kenya Burning? at Nairobi's Go-Down arts centre, where some of the capital's poorest youths have been turned into brilliant dancers, artistic creators, and more. It has been debated whether it was too soon to remind Kenyans of this year's crisis, when at least 1,200 people were killed and 300,000-plus displaced. Others worried that the government would ban the explicit images. The show's curators, Judy Ogana and Joy Mboya, decided to try anyway, sifting through 2,000 photographs, most of them taken by Boniface Mwangi, a young Kenyan working for the local Daily Standard, and Yasuyoshi Chiba, a gutsy Japanese. ...
Whose side are they all on?
Thu, 08 May 2008 12:40:10 -0000
The Americans and the Iraqis find it hard to read the ambiguities in Iran's policy towards IraqIN HIS five years as Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari has often expressed alarm at the prospect of his battered country becoming a cockpit for a power struggle between the Americans and their regional enemies, Iran and Syria. Keep your quarrels away from us, says Mr Zebari, an affable Kurd, who has kept his job longer than any other minister since Saddam Hussein was toppled. Iraq has more than enough on its plate already, he says. In recent weeks fighting has intensified, with Iraqi and American forces fighting together against assorted Shia militias and ?criminal gangs? (in the government's words) linked to Iran?first in Basra, the main port city of the south, and now in the Shia districts of Baghdad. ...
Mixed signals
Thu, 08 May 2008 12:40:10 -0000
A run-off for the presidency beckons, but will the opposition take part?FOLLOWING the aftermath of Zimbabwe's presidential election is like watching a horror film in slow motion. It took over a month for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to announce the first-round results. On May 2nd it finally said that Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had finished first with 47.9% of the vote, against President Robert Mugabe's 43.2%. Now it is taking its time to decide when a run-off, which should have taken place within three weeks of the first-round election, should be held. Meanwhile, government-sponsored violence against opposition supporters is spreading and the MDC, which insists that its man won outright with more than 50% of the vote, is keeping mum on whether it will take part in a run-off. The opposition has rejected the results, because, it says, they were announced without being properly verified. It did not have a chance to compare the results it collected from polling stations with the electoral commission's tally. Independent monitors, too, have questioned the announcement's credibility. The MDC's leaders met this week to discuss whether to take part in a second round. A spokesman says a decision was made, but it will not be announced before the electoral commission lets the party verify results and a date for the new poll has been decided on. The party has been sending mixed signals in the past few weeks, at first saying it would not take part as no run-off was necessary but at times saying it would, provided the violence stopped and the poll is properly monitored. The big snag is that sitting it out would mean letting Mr Mugabe stay in power. ...
L.A. Times - Middle East
Saudis see no reason to raise oil production now
Fri, 16 May 2008 10:06:00 -0700
Saudi Arabian leaders made clear today they see no reason to increase oil production until their customers demand it, apparently rebuffing President Bush amid soaring U.S. gasoline prices.
Iraq offers amnesty to militants in Mosul
Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Prime Minister Maliki says those who turn in their heavy and mid-size arms will receive financial compensation. In Fallouja, eight people, including an infant, are killed in a suicide attack. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki on Friday offered amnesty to Sunni Arab militants in the northern city of Mosul and financial compensation for their surrendered weapons.
Bin Laden: Palestinian cause fuels war
Fri, 16 May 2008 13:11:00 -0700
Osama bin Laden said in a new audio recording released today that al-Qaida will continue its holy war against Israel and its allies until it liberates Palestine.
Roots in the Holy Land
Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Judea Pearl recounts his family s emigration from Poland to Palestine in 1924 to rebuild an ancient city. George E. Bisharat tells of his Palestinian grandfather s hospitality before his West Jerusalem home was expropriated by Israel in 1948. Today's topic: Both of you have personal connections to the history of the Holy Land. Please expand on your experiences. Click here to read previous exchanges of this week's Dust-Up.
John McCain and Barack Obama tilt toward the center on Iraq plans
Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The presidential hopefuls, once far apart on the war, leave themselves more wiggle room. After launching their candidacies with opposite positions on the Iraq war, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama seem to be edging toward a middle ground between them.
'Appeasement' remark by Bush sets off political fray
Thu, 15 May 2008 00:37:00 -0700
The president, speaking to Israeli lawmakers, takes apparent aim at Obama in saying that negotiating with some dictatorships amounts to 'appeasement.' Obama calls it a 'false political attack.' WASHINGTON -- Addressing the Israeli parliament, President Bush set off a political firestorm today with an apparent criticism of Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential hopeful, over his position on negotiating with some dictatorships.
NPR Topics: Middle East
Capt. Rawlings' Tips on Serving in Iraq
Fri, 16 May 2008 08:40:00 -0400
The 26-year-old Princeton alum has been stop-lossed in Sadr City. Over the next few months, he'll be answering listeners' questions about his experience. In his first batch of answers, he discusses how he fills his spare time, why his soldiers sometimes make fun of him and what he'd tell a kid who's considering a future in the military.
Skepticism Grows Over Two-State Mideast Solution
Thu, 15 May 2008 12:36:00 -0400
Even as President Bush tries to boost prospects for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, optimism on both sides is dwindling. Many moderate Palestinians now question the basis of the process: the idea of Israel and Palestine living side by side.
What Started All That Violence in Lebanon?
Thu, 15 May 2008 07:00:00 -0400
The outbreak of skirmishes in Beirut last week had deep ethnic and religion roots, but the proximate cause was basically the cutting of a phone cord. Deborah Amos has covered the Middle East for NPR and was in Lebanon's capitol when the fighting broke out.
Bush Reinforces Iran Opposition in Israel Speech
Thu, 15 May 2008 11:06:00 -0400
President Bush is in Israel to celebrate the country's 60th anniversary. He is using a speech to the Israeli parliament to reiterate his position that Iran must not be allowed to attain nuclear weapons.
Palestinians Demand 'Right of Return'
Wed, 14 May 2008 16:43:00 -0400
As President Bush joins in celebrations marking Israel's 60th anniversary of independence, Palestinians are marking what they call the Nakba, or Catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were forced to leave their homes in what became Israel in 1948. They say any peace agreement must include the "right of return" — meaning they would be able to return to their former homes. Israeli officials say that is impossible.
On Israel's Anniversary, Bush Pushes Peace Deal
Wed, 14 May 2008 16:36:00 -0400
President Bush is in Israel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state. Bush says he is hoping to boost Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts during his visit, but the violence continued on Wednesday. Israeli troops staged an incursion into the Gaza Strip, and militants in Gaza fired a rocket into the Israeli town of Ashkelon.
UN News Centre - Middle East
UN refugee chief to head to Yemen
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres will embark on a five-day mission to Yemen tomorrow to assess the agency's efforts to help refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) first-hand.
UN official welcomes new economic measures to help Palestinians
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
A new package of economic measures aimed at improving the economic situation for Palestinians, announced by Tony Blair, the Representative for the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, has been welcomed today by a top United Nations official in the region.
Ban Ki-moon and Friends of Lebanon' welcome diplomatic efforts to end crisis
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
A group that includes foreign ministers and representatives from the European Union and the Arab League, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has welcomed an Arab League initiative to send a delegation to Lebanon to promote dialogue in the fractured country.
General Assembly President holds talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim met today with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on the last leg of his official visit to the Middle East, stressing the need for a comprehensive peace settlement in the region.
General Assembly President holds talks with Egyptian leaders
Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The global food crisis, Security Council reform and the most recent developments in the Middle East have topped the agenda during talks in Cairo between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Lebanese parties must resume dialogue, Secretary-General says
Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Deploring the violence that has engulfed Lebanon over the past week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all parties in the fractured country to resume dialogue as part of a process that should culminate in the election of a president and a solution to the prolonged political crisis.
NYT > Middle East
Feuding Political Camps in Lebanon Agree to Talk to End Impasse
Fri, 16 May 2008 15:52:46 -0000
The deal was a victory for the Hezbollah-led opposition, which won concessions from the governing coalition on how to end the 18-month political stalemate.
Bush Assails ‘Appeasement,’ Touching Off Storm
Fri, 16 May 2008 10:15:31 -0000
A remark seen as a rebuke to Barack Obama likened those who would negotiate with “terrorists” to Nazi appeasers.
McCain Vision Has Most G.I.’s Out of Iraq by 2013
Fri, 16 May 2008 06:44:33 -0000
John McCain’s comments were a striking departure from his usual refusal to set a date for American withdrawal.
Names of the Dead
Fri, 16 May 2008 04:36:50 -0000
The Department of Defense has identified 4,071 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. It confirmed the death of the following American on Wednesday:.
War Over Wall Persists in Sadr City Despite Truce
Thu, 15 May 2008 14:27:07 -0000
A battle of attrition continues to be waged over the barrier that Americans have built to try to establish a safe zone.
Lebanon Reverses Decisions That Prompted Violence
Thu, 15 May 2008 04:18:30 -0000
The decisions brought the country a step closer to resolving the week-old political crisis that set off the worst factional violence since the nation’s 15-year civil war.
Subscribe to Middle_East RSS feed 
The opposition goes for broke
Thu, 15 May 2008 13:08:34 -0000
Zimbabwe's opposition leader heads home to risk fighting another electionAFTER a month on safari abroad, trying to befriend leaders all over Africa, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the embattled opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has decided to go home and risk contesting a presidential election run-off. As The Economist went to press, he was poised to fly back, having already missed at least one deadline to do so.No one knows whether Mr Tsvangirai will be able, on his return, to move freely around the country. No one knows, more crucially, whether people will be able to vote freely or whether their votes will be honestly counted. Yet, though independent observers assume Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, and his people will do their worst on all such fronts, giving him a big built-in advantage in the contest, there is still a chance that a groundswell of opposition?and the courage and desperation of MDC voters?may give Mr Tsvangirai the edge, as it did in the first round. But few are confident he will win. ...
Leaders united in the doldrums
Thu, 15 May 2008 13:08:34 -0000
A sense of aimlessness as Israel celebrates its anniversaryGEORGE BUSH'S second visit to Israel in a year seemed even more pointless than his first one. Having come in January in a failed attempt to push forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that he launched at Annapolis in November, he flew in this week to make a speech for the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence.In any event, Mr Bush's influence since Annapolis seems to have been marginal. The two sides' negotiating teams have continued to meet, as have Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, and Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister. People familiar with the talks even report warm relations and progress between the two leaders. But the Israelis have already downgraded the goal from a peace deal by the end of the year to a ?framework agreement?, with no clues as to how specific that might be. Increasingly urgent American requests that Israel remove roadblocks and take other steps to improve life for Palestinians in the West Bank, where Mr Abbas holds sway, have been largely ignored. ...
A bloody tit-for-tat
Thu, 15 May 2008 13:08:34 -0000
The Darfur disaster threatens to become even more of a regional catastrophePICKING through the knotted bundle of clothes in a police station in Omdurman, close to Sudan's capital, Khartoum, the security man emerges with a ragged cap in his hand. ?Chad?, he says triumphantly, pointing to the flag emblazoned on its front. More rummaging produces a handful of identification cards, clearly recognisable as belonging to Chadian soldiers. He points to a row of shells on the ground; they too seem to come from Chad. At dusk on May 10th, a rebel group from Darfur calling itself the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) descended on the city of Omdurman, just to the west of Khartoum. Its target was the presidential palace, directly across the Nile. The attack was thwarted by government soldiers, who hastily blockaded the bridges. Within days, the assault had fizzled. But to the government in Khartoum, and to the Arabs who have run the country since independence in 1956, it was a terrible shock. It has dangerously widened a conflict that has been concentrated for the past four years in the western region of Darfur, where as many as 300,000 people may have died. And it raised the rare prospect of a conventional war between two African countries, Sudan and Chad. ...
Looking more closely at the killings
Thu, 15 May 2008 13:08:34 -0000
Can art make the politicians try harder?THE torched body lies in the dirt, at the side of the road. Maybe it is a man; upturned, with charred hands and legs curled into claws, the face melted away to reveal yellow buckteeth, it looks more like a rodent. The charcoal skull is hatched with blade marks, perhaps the cause of death.Such are the violent images on display at an exhibition called ?Kenya Burning? at Nairobi's Go-Down arts centre, where some of the capital's poorest youths have been turned into brilliant dancers, artistic creators, and more. It has been debated whether it was too soon to remind Kenyans of this year's crisis, when at least 1,200 people were killed and 300,000-plus displaced. Others worried that the government would ban the explicit images. The show's curators, Judy Ogana and Joy Mboya, decided to try anyway, sifting through 2,000 photographs, most of them taken by Boniface Mwangi, a young Kenyan working for the local Daily Standard, and Yasuyoshi Chiba, a gutsy Japanese. ...
Whose side are they all on?
Thu, 08 May 2008 12:40:10 -0000
The Americans and the Iraqis find it hard to read the ambiguities in Iran's policy towards IraqIN HIS five years as Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari has often expressed alarm at the prospect of his battered country becoming a cockpit for a power struggle between the Americans and their regional enemies, Iran and Syria. Keep your quarrels away from us, says Mr Zebari, an affable Kurd, who has kept his job longer than any other minister since Saddam Hussein was toppled. Iraq has more than enough on its plate already, he says. In recent weeks fighting has intensified, with Iraqi and American forces fighting together against assorted Shia militias and ?criminal gangs? (in the government's words) linked to Iran?first in Basra, the main port city of the south, and now in the Shia districts of Baghdad. ...
Mixed signals
Thu, 08 May 2008 12:40:10 -0000
A run-off for the presidency beckons, but will the opposition take part?FOLLOWING the aftermath of Zimbabwe's presidential election is like watching a horror film in slow motion. It took over a month for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to announce the first-round results. On May 2nd it finally said that Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had finished first with 47.9% of the vote, against President Robert Mugabe's 43.2%. Now it is taking its time to decide when a run-off, which should have taken place within three weeks of the first-round election, should be held. Meanwhile, government-sponsored violence against opposition supporters is spreading and the MDC, which insists that its man won outright with more than 50% of the vote, is keeping mum on whether it will take part in a run-off. The opposition has rejected the results, because, it says, they were announced without being properly verified. It did not have a chance to compare the results it collected from polling stations with the electoral commission's tally. Independent monitors, too, have questioned the announcement's credibility. The MDC's leaders met this week to discuss whether to take part in a second round. A spokesman says a decision was made, but it will not be announced before the electoral commission lets the party verify results and a date for the new poll has been decided on. The party has been sending mixed signals in the past few weeks, at first saying it would not take part as no run-off was necessary but at times saying it would, provided the violence stopped and the poll is properly monitored. The big snag is that sitting it out would mean letting Mr Mugabe stay in power. ...
L.A. Times - Middle East
Saudis see no reason to raise oil production now
Fri, 16 May 2008 10:06:00 -0700
Saudi Arabian leaders made clear today they see no reason to increase oil production until their customers demand it, apparently rebuffing President Bush amid soaring U.S. gasoline prices.
Iraq offers amnesty to militants in Mosul
Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Prime Minister Maliki says those who turn in their heavy and mid-size arms will receive financial compensation. In Fallouja, eight people, including an infant, are killed in a suicide attack. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki on Friday offered amnesty to Sunni Arab militants in the northern city of Mosul and financial compensation for their surrendered weapons.
Bin Laden: Palestinian cause fuels war
Fri, 16 May 2008 13:11:00 -0700
Osama bin Laden said in a new audio recording released today that al-Qaida will continue its holy war against Israel and its allies until it liberates Palestine.
Roots in the Holy Land
Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Judea Pearl recounts his family s emigration from Poland to Palestine in 1924 to rebuild an ancient city. George E. Bisharat tells of his Palestinian grandfather s hospitality before his West Jerusalem home was expropriated by Israel in 1948. Today's topic: Both of you have personal connections to the history of the Holy Land. Please expand on your experiences. Click here to read previous exchanges of this week's Dust-Up.
John McCain and Barack Obama tilt toward the center on Iraq plans
Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The presidential hopefuls, once far apart on the war, leave themselves more wiggle room. After launching their candidacies with opposite positions on the Iraq war, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama seem to be edging toward a middle ground between them.
'Appeasement' remark by Bush sets off political fray
Thu, 15 May 2008 00:37:00 -0700
The president, speaking to Israeli lawmakers, takes apparent aim at Obama in saying that negotiating with some dictatorships amounts to 'appeasement.' Obama calls it a 'false political attack.' WASHINGTON -- Addressing the Israeli parliament, President Bush set off a political firestorm today with an apparent criticism of Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential hopeful, over his position on negotiating with some dictatorships.
NPR Topics: Middle East
Capt. Rawlings' Tips on Serving in Iraq
Fri, 16 May 2008 08:40:00 -0400
The 26-year-old Princeton alum has been stop-lossed in Sadr City. Over the next few months, he'll be answering listeners' questions about his experience. In his first batch of answers, he discusses how he fills his spare time, why his soldiers sometimes make fun of him and what he'd tell a kid who's considering a future in the military.
Skepticism Grows Over Two-State Mideast Solution
Thu, 15 May 2008 12:36:00 -0400
Even as President Bush tries to boost prospects for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, optimism on both sides is dwindling. Many moderate Palestinians now question the basis of the process: the idea of Israel and Palestine living side by side.
What Started All That Violence in Lebanon?
Thu, 15 May 2008 07:00:00 -0400
The outbreak of skirmishes in Beirut last week had deep ethnic and religion roots, but the proximate cause was basically the cutting of a phone cord. Deborah Amos has covered the Middle East for NPR and was in Lebanon's capitol when the fighting broke out.
Bush Reinforces Iran Opposition in Israel Speech
Thu, 15 May 2008 11:06:00 -0400
President Bush is in Israel to celebrate the country's 60th anniversary. He is using a speech to the Israeli parliament to reiterate his position that Iran must not be allowed to attain nuclear weapons.
Palestinians Demand 'Right of Return'
Wed, 14 May 2008 16:43:00 -0400
As President Bush joins in celebrations marking Israel's 60th anniversary of independence, Palestinians are marking what they call the Nakba, or Catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were forced to leave their homes in what became Israel in 1948. They say any peace agreement must include the "right of return" — meaning they would be able to return to their former homes. Israeli officials say that is impossible.
On Israel's Anniversary, Bush Pushes Peace Deal
Wed, 14 May 2008 16:36:00 -0400
President Bush is in Israel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state. Bush says he is hoping to boost Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts during his visit, but the violence continued on Wednesday. Israeli troops staged an incursion into the Gaza Strip, and militants in Gaza fired a rocket into the Israeli town of Ashkelon.
UN News Centre - Middle East
UN refugee chief to head to Yemen
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres will embark on a five-day mission to Yemen tomorrow to assess the agency's efforts to help refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) first-hand.
UN official welcomes new economic measures to help Palestinians
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
A new package of economic measures aimed at improving the economic situation for Palestinians, announced by Tony Blair, the Representative for the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, has been welcomed today by a top United Nations official in the region.
Ban Ki-moon and Friends of Lebanon' welcome diplomatic efforts to end crisis
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
A group that includes foreign ministers and representatives from the European Union and the Arab League, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has welcomed an Arab League initiative to send a delegation to Lebanon to promote dialogue in the fractured country.
General Assembly President holds talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders
Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim met today with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on the last leg of his official visit to the Middle East, stressing the need for a comprehensive peace settlement in the region.
General Assembly President holds talks with Egyptian leaders
Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The global food crisis, Security Council reform and the most recent developments in the Middle East have topped the agenda during talks in Cairo between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Lebanese parties must resume dialogue, Secretary-General says
Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Deploring the violence that has engulfed Lebanon over the past week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all parties in the fractured country to resume dialogue as part of a process that should culminate in the election of a president and a solution to the prolonged political crisis.
NYT > Middle East
Feuding Political Camps in Lebanon Agree to Talk to End Impasse
Fri, 16 May 2008 15:52:46 -0000
The deal was a victory for the Hezbollah-led opposition, which won concessions from the governing coalition on how to end the 18-month political stalemate.
Bush Assails ‘Appeasement,’ Touching Off Storm
Fri, 16 May 2008 10:15:31 -0000
A remark seen as a rebuke to Barack Obama likened those who would negotiate with “terrorists” to Nazi appeasers.
McCain Vision Has Most G.I.’s Out of Iraq by 2013
Fri, 16 May 2008 06:44:33 -0000
John McCain’s comments were a striking departure from his usual refusal to set a date for American withdrawal.
Names of the Dead
Fri, 16 May 2008 04:36:50 -0000
The Department of Defense has identified 4,071 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. It confirmed the death of the following American on Wednesday:.
War Over Wall Persists in Sadr City Despite Truce
Thu, 15 May 2008 14:27:07 -0000
A battle of attrition continues to be waged over the barrier that Americans have built to try to establish a safe zone.
Lebanon Reverses Decisions That Prompted Violence
Thu, 15 May 2008 04:18:30 -0000
The decisions brought the country a step closer to resolving the week-old political crisis that set off the worst factional violence since the nation’s 15-year civil war.
L.A. Times - Middle East -
Headlines from Los Angeles Times
Middle East and Africa - Middle East and Africa
UN News Centre - Middle East - A world of news from the world organization.
Frontline Endgame- Part 6: Endgame? |
