Asia Times - The Middle East

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valign="top"> <table width="100%" height="31" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td align="middle" valign="top" background="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/top_bg.gif"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr align="middle" valign="top"> <td width="25%"> <div align="center"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/archive.asp"><img height="18" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/archive.gif" width="110" border="0"></a></div> </td> <td width="25%"> <div align="center"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/about.html"><img height="18" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/about.gif" width="110" border="0"></a></div> </td> <td width="25%"> <div align="center"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/contact.html"><img height="18" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/contact.gif" width="110" border="0"></a></div> </td> <td width="25%"> <div align="center"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/advertise.html"><img height="18" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/advertise.gif" width="110" border="0"></a></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="10"> </td> <td align="left" valign="top" width="510"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="64%" valign="top"><font class="subhead"><strong class="head">Middle East</strong></font></td> <td width="36%"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td height="51" align="middle" valign="center"> <div align="right"><font class="time"><strong> <script language="javascript"> function showDate(){ var monthArray=["Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", "May", "Jun", "Jul", "Aug", "Sep", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec"] var days=["Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday"] var d=new Date(); var month=d.getMonth() var day=d.getDate() var year=d.getYear() // document.write("Today is " + days[d.getDay()] + "<BR>") document.write(monthArray[month]) document.write(" ") document.write(day) document.write(", ") if(d.getYear()<2000){document.write(year+1900)} if(d.getYear()>2000){document.write(year)} } </script> <script language="javascript">showDate()</script> </strong></font> </div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="100%" border="0" align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="65%" valign="top"> <table width="100%" border="0" align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="65%" valign="top"> <table width="308" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="308"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font size="2"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000"> <p><font color="#000000"><font size="2"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF05Ak03.html "><strong>Iran's clerics take the first round</strong></a><br>Although Iranian President Mohammad Khatami had promised to quit if his two reform bills were blocked by the watchdog clerics, he's still there despite the bills being rejected (he's a politician, after all). But how much longer he can stay in power given this setback is now being seriously questioned. - <b>Hooman Peimani</b> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 4, '03)</font><br><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EF05Aa03.html"><strong>Now, the ugly America</strong></a><br>It is not that people don't like Americans, they just don't like the country's current policies (or its leader) much, according to a new global survey that finds that the image of the United States is far more negative in Europe and the Muslim world than a year ago. - <b>Jim Lobe <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 4, '03)</font></b><br><br><strong><font color="#ff0000">SPENGLER<br></font></strong><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EF05Aa02.html "><strong>The neo-cons' Islamist conspiracy</strong></a><br><img hspace="3" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes//images/arabists-small.gif" align="left" vspace="3" border="0">Forget about Washington's neo-conservatives being influenced by German Jewish political philosopher Leo Strauss. The real truth is that at the heart of the neo-con cabal there lurks the one religion that can best fight idolatry. And it's not Judeo-Christianity.<br><br><strong><font color="#ff0000">COMMENTARY<br></font></strong><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF05Ak05.html "><strong>Setting the global strategic agenda</strong></a> <br>No longer an international relations neophyte, in the past week US President George W Bush has met with leaders from Russia, Europe, China and the Middle East to push his agenda. While the majority of the leaders with whom Bush met may not agree with his vision for the world, they have little choice but to work with him. - <b>Ehsan Ahrari</b> <br><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF05Ak02.html"><strong>Iraq: No quick fixes</strong></a><br>The US administrator for Iraq, Paul Bremer, is shifting his attention to the economy after putting off immediate plans to share power with some form of Iraqi administration. The shift highlights uncertainties as to how much power Washington plans to share with Iraqi leaders, and when. <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 4, '03)</font><br><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF05Ak04.html"><strong>The US problem with solving problems</strong></a><br>Never mind the weapons of mass destruction, and beyond the oil, the United States picked on Iraq for the "huge" reason of extricating itself from Saudi Arabia, which it is now in the process of doing. But in true unintended consequences fashion, another problem has now arisen. <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 4, '03)</font><br><br><img hspace="0" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes//images/bestofbe4[1].gif" border="0"><br><br> <table class="" id="table1" style="WIDTH: 308px; HEIGHT: 336px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="308" border="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="" valign="top" bordercolor="red" align="left" height="0"> <p align="center"><font color="black"><strong><font size="3"></p></font></strong><img hspace="0" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes/images/noses-2.gif" align="left" border="0"><br><br><br><br><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF04Ak02.html"><strong><font size="2">The truth, the whole truth and nothing but ...</font></strong></a><br><font size="2">As speculation grows - and it's not a "French" or "European left" plot - about deliberate distortion of the facts, the time is drawing close when some in the Bush administration will have to reconcile their extravagant claims on weapons of mass destruction with the ground reality in Iraq. - <b>Jim Lobe</b></font> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 3, '03)</font><br><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF04Ak01.html"><strong><font size="2">Why Saddam was doomed, WMDs or not</font></strong></a><font size="2"> <br>Two days after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the writing was already on the wall for the Saddam Hussein regime. Justification for the war would come later. In fact, the world is still waiting for it.<font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 3, '03)</font></font></font> </td> </tr> </table><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF04Ak03.html"><strong>US shadow clouds Iran's internal tussle</strong></a><br>Debate in Iran between the government and the public on what political road the country should take has in the past centered on a more open society and the press. Now, with the United States looming large, this debate has taken on strong new undertones. <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 3, '03)</font><br><br>   <img hspace="0" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes//images/arrow.gif" border="0"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF04Ak04.html">Enter the Iraqi Islamic Republic. Not quite yet</a> <br><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF03Ak03.html"><strong>One fewer reformist voice in Saudi Arabia</strong></a><br>In sacking the editor of an anti-extremist newspaper, Saudi officials have plainly shown that when it comes to the voices of reform, their ears are closed. And will remain so, no matter how loud the cries become, if anyone else dares, that is. - <b>Ian Urbina <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 2, '03)</font></b><br><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF03Ak01.html "><strong>Running circles around Iran</strong></a><br>Although the reports have been officially denied, news that Azerbaijan and Georgia could be used as launch pads for a United States military strike against Iran have not gone down very well in Tehran. Nor in Moscow, for that matter. - <b>Hooman Peimani</b> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 2, '03)</font><br><br><font color="#ff0000"><strong>COMMENTARY</strong></font><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF03Ak02.html "><strong>A threadbare emperor tours the world</strong></a><br>Despite the smiles and sycophancy that will greet President George W Bush as he swings around the world, all is not well within the empire, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq. And there's trouble on the home front, too. - <b>Jim Lobe <font color="#999999" size="1">(Jun 2, '03)</font></b><br><br><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EE31Ak01.html "><strong>Why Moscow won't back down</strong></a><br>Russia has a perfectly legitimate right to pursue its nuclear collaboration with Iran, which is why Moscow is standing firm in the face of US protestations to the contrary. It is also in the Kremlin's interests to retain Tehran as a strategic ally, for should it "fall", who knows who will be next? - <strong>Hooman Peimani</strong> <font color="#999999" size="1">(May 30, '03)</font><br></font><br><font color="#000000"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EE31Ak02.html"><strong>An Osirak in the offing</strong></a><br>Over the years, the United States has taken issue with Iran for a number of reasons, but in recent weeks it has taken specific aim at alleged al-Qaeda survivors seeking sanctuary in Iranian territory, and Tehran's non-military nuclear program. In this regard, it is worth remembering what happened to Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor in the 1980s. - <b>B Raman <font color="#999999" size="1">(May 30, '03)</font></b></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p> </td> </tr> </table> <p> </p> </td> <td width="35%" valign="top"> <table width="184" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td align="middle" valign="center"> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030604142416/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/search.asp" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 190px; HEIGHT: 69px" height="69" hspace="0" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes//images/search-2.gif" width="186" border="0"></a><br> <img height="5" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/1pix.gif" width="1"><br> <table class="" id="table1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="191" border="3" style="WIDTH: 191px; HEIGHT: 532px"> <tr> <td class="" valign="top" bordercolor="red" align="left" bgcolor="gainsboro" height="0"><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #dcdcdc" color="#ff0000" size="2"><strong>IRAQ BEYOND SADDAM</strong></font> <br> <img align="right" border="0" hspace="3" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes/images/tiles.gif" vspace="3"><br> <a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ED08Ak05.html"><strong><font size="1">Watch Woolsey</font></strong></a><font size="1"> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Apr 7, '03)</font> </font><font size="1"><font color="#999999"> <br> </font> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ED08Ak04.html "><strong><font size="1">British want a bigger slice of the cake</font></strong></a><font size="1"> <font color="#999999">(Apr 7, '03)</font><br> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ED08Ak02.html "><strong><font size="1">Spoils of war: The case of the Iraqi campaign</font></strong></a><font size="1"> <font color="#999999">(Apr 7, '03)</font><br> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ED04Ak01.html "><strong><font size="1">In the pipeline: More regime change</font>  </strong></a><font size="1"> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Apr 3, '03)</font></font><font size="1"><font color="#999999"> <br> </font> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC28Ak03.html"><strong><font size="1">Robbing Peter to pay Paul</font></strong></a><font color="#999999" size="1">(Mar 27, '03)</font><font size="1"><font color="#999999"> <br> </font> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC27Ak02.html"><strong><font size="1">The day after: Lessons from Afghanistan</font></strong></a><font color="#999999" size="1">(Mar 26, '03)</font><font size="1"><br> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC26Ak05.html "><strong><font size="1">The lucrative business of rebuilding Iraq</font></strong></a><font size="1"> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Mar 25, '03)</font><br> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC22Ak03.html"><strong><font size="1">Splits emerge over post-Saddam plan</font></strong></a> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Mar 21, '03)</font><font size="1"><br> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC14Ak03.html"><strong><font size="1">The search for regional security <font color="#999999" size="1">(Mar 13, '03)</font><br> </font></strong></a> <br> <a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC14Ak02.html"><strong><font size="1">Bush's 'morning after' headache</font></strong></a><font size="1"> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Mar 13, '03)<br> </font> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC14Ak01.html "><strong><font size="1">Ba'ath Party will need a role</font></strong></a><u><font color="#003399"><font size="1">  <font color="#999999" size="1">(Mar 13, '03)</font> </font><font color="#999999"><font size="1"> <br> <br> </font><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC18Ak01.html "><strong><font size="1">Upheaval, any upheaval, will do</font>  </strong></a><font color="#999999" size="1"> (Mar 17, '03)</font> </font></font></u> </td> </tr> </table> <img height="5" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/1pix.gif" width="1"> <br> <table class="" id="table1" style="WIDTH: 191px; HEIGHT: 202px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="191" border="3"> <tr> <td class="" valign="top" bordercolor="darkorange" align="left" bgcolor="gainsboro" height="0"> <p align="left"><font color="red" size="2"><strong>SPEAKING FREELY<br> </strong></font><font color="#000000"><strong><font size="2">An occasional column in which guest correspondents have a say.<br> </font></strong><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><br><font size="2"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EF05Ak01.html "><strong>A dogma of everything</strong></a><br>Thomas Friedman argued in the New York Times that there is a "theory of everything", which he used to explain the "why does everybody hate us" poser. The question is based on a flawed premise, though, which renders the theory no more than a dogma. - <b>Habibul Haque Khondker</b></font></font></font></font> </p></td> </tr> </table> <img height="5" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/1pix.gif" width="1"> <br> <table class="" id="table1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="100%" border="3"> <tr> <td class="" valign="top" bordercolor="red" align="left" bgcolor="gainsboro" height="0"><u><font size="2"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030604142416/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC08Ak01.html"><font color="background"><strong>The Baghdad beat</strong></font></a></font></u> <font color="background">  </font><font color="crimson"><font size="2"><font color="background"> <img hspace="3" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20030604142416im_/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/images/baghdad-lips.gif" align="right" vspace="5" border="0"></font> <br> (Photo-essay)</font><font size="1"> </font> <br> </font><font size="2">Their lives are in limbo as they wait for something out of their control to happen. The outcome is a question mark, but meanwhile life must go on. <br> --<strong> Jason Florio</strong> </font><font color="#999999" size="1">(Mar 7, '03)</font> </td> </tr> </table> <img height="5" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/1pix.gif" width="1"> <br> <table class="" id="table1" style="WIDTH: 191px; HEIGHT: 207px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="191" align="center" border="2"> <tr> <td class="" valign="top" bordercolor="navy" align="left" bgcolor="linen" height="0"><strong><font color="#ff0000" size="2"><font color="navy">THE AMERICAN EMPIRE</font><br> </font></strong> <br> A series by <strong>Francesco Sisci</strong> <font color="#999999" size="1">(Oct, '02)<img align="right" border="0" hspace="1" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes/images/emperor.gif" vspace="1"> <br> <br> </font><img hspace="0" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes//images/arrow.gif" border="0"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/DJ16Ak01.html"><font size="2">Part 1: Reluctant hegemon</font></a><br> <img hspace="0" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes//images/arrow.gif" border="0"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030604142416/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/DJ17Ak04.html "><font size="2">Part 2: Righteous king</font></a><br> <img hspace="0" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes//images/arrow.gif" border="0"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/DJ18Ak02.html"><font size="2">Part 3: The fear within</font></a><br><img hspace="0" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/atimes//images/arrow.gif" border="0"><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #faf0e6" size="2"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030604142416/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EE27Aa01.html">Part 4: The obvious emperor</a></font></td> </tr> </table> <img height="5" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/1pix.gif" width="1">  </p> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td><img height="5" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/1pix.gif" width="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table width="191" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#ff9900" style="WIDTH: 191px; HEIGHT: 185px"> <tr> <td align="middle" valign="top" bgcolor="#fdf0c6"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td><img height="5" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/1pix.gif" width="1"></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <div align="center"><img height="22" src="/web/20030604142416im_/http://atimes.com/images/f_images/rovingeye.gif" width="174"><br> </div> </td> </tr> </table> <div align="center"></div> <table width="174" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" style="WIDTH: 174px; HEIGHT: 120px"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <p align="left"><br> <a class="links" href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/others/iran_diary.html"><font size="2">Iran D</font></a><font size="2"><a href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/others/iran_diary.html" target="_blank"></a><a class="links" href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/others/iran_diary.html">ia</a><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20030604142416/http://192.168.9.94/atimes/others/iran_diary.html" target="_blank"></a></font><a class="links" href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/others/iran_diary.html"><font size="2">ry</font></a><br> <font size="2">A 9-part series by <strong>Pepe Escobar.</strong>  <font color="#999999" size="1">(May-June, '02)</font> </font> <br> <br> <a class="links" href="/web/20030604142416/http://atimes.com/atimes/others/iraq_diary.html"><font size="2">Iraq Diary</font></a><br> <font size="2"><strong>Escobar</strong> documents his travels in Iraq.  <font color="#999999" 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