By Barbara Slavin Successful diplomacy requires an astute mix of psychology and substance. The past few days of Iran nuclear negotiations have featured plenty of both, with long sessions devoted to arcane technical issues interrupted by raised voices and threats to walk away rather than accept an agreement that does not meet respective bottom lines. […]
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Egypt has Become a “Republic of Fear”
Posted June 17th, 2015 at 4:25 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin The Middle East is facing no shortage of crises, but more attention should be paid to one that is getting comparatively little notice in the U.S.: the human rights catastrophe unfolding in the Arab world’s most populous nation. Political repression in Egypt under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is now […]
Glimmer of Hope for Yemen, Gloom Elsewhere in the Middle East
Posted June 5th, 2015 at 2:28 pm (UTC-5)
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As proposed peace talks on Yemen raises optimism while prospects for diplomatic progress elsewhere in the Middle East is dimmer.
Tags: AQAP, Assad, Atlantic Council, Barbara Slavin, Houthis, Iran, IS, ISIL, ISIS, islamic state, Stephen Seche, syria, Tony Blinken, USIP, Yemen Posted in Uncategorized
Europeans Do Heavy Lifting on Iran Nuclear Negotiations
Posted May 27th, 2015 at 11:16 am (UTC-5)
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Ambassadors to the US from France, Germany and the United Kingdom said none of their governments were about to accept a bad deal with Iran, but one which would relieve sanctions gradually in return for verifiable curbs on the Iranian nuclear program.
Tags: Barbara Slavin, Gerard Araud, Hassan Rouhani, Iran nuclear, P5+1, Peter Wittig, Sir Peter Westmacott Posted in Barbara Slavin
Camp David Summit Can’t Address Core GCC Problems
Posted May 12th, 2015 at 4:27 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin White House spinmeisters were in full damage-control mode Monday after Saudi Arabia announced that King Salman would not be attending a Camp David summit expressly arranged to reassure him and other U.S. Arab allies that an impending nuclear agreement with Iran is not coming at their expense. “The Saudis are sending the […]
Tags: Barbara Slavin Posted in Barbara Slavin
Iraqi Kurds Navigate a Cautious Path Toward Independence
Posted May 7th, 2015 at 3:21 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq, got head-of-state treatment in Washington this week: two meetings with Vice President Joe Biden with a “drop-in” by President Barack Obama plus talks on Capitol Hill and the State Department and appearances at several Washington think tanks. Barzani governs just a […]
Tags: Barbara Slavin Posted in Barbara Slavin
Iran’s Zarif Dancing As Fast as He Can
Posted April 30th, 2015 at 5:56 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin NEW YORK —This week, this reporter got a chance to witness two impressive performances in rather different fields. On Tuesday night, Robert Fairchild, the New York City ballet star turned Broadway phenomenon, managed to eclipse his idol Gene Kelly in a reimagining of the movie musical “An American in Paris.” The following […]
Tags: Barbara Slavin Posted in Barbara Slavin
Saudi Arabia Scales Back Yemen Bombing
Posted April 23rd, 2015 at 9:54 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin After four weeks of pounding one of the poorest and most dysfunctional places on earth, Saudi Arabia has wisely reduced its bombing campaign in Yemen. While Saudi officials proclaimed “Operation Decisive Storm” a victory against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the campaign weakened but did not dislodge the Houthis and expanded the power of […]
Tags: Barbara Slavin Posted in Barbara Slavin
Congress Can’t Stop Iran Sanctions Unraveling
Posted April 15th, 2015 at 6:21 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin For months now, Russia has been a constructive member of the international consortium negotiating with Iran, often proposing creative fixes to technical hurdles. But this week, just as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was taking up sensitive Iran-related legislation, Russia announced that it was going forward with an old contract to sell […]
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A Fourth Arab Country Melts Down
Posted March 25th, 2015 at 1:30 pm (UTC-5)
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Reports on Wednesday that the president of Yemen has fled his country underline the latest crisis to strike the state system in the Middle East. Three other Arab nations – Libya, Syria and Iraq – are already fractured among religious, ethnic and tribal groups, with fighting exacerbated by outsiders bankrolling and arming proxies. The Barack […]
Bibi Win Promises More Friction With Washington
Posted March 19th, 2015 at 1:32 pm (UTC-5)
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The voters of Israel have spoken, and their answer augurs more friction with the United States and Europe over issues ranging from Iran nuclear negotiations to creation of an independent Palestinian state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, campaigning fiercely for his political life, led his Likud Party to an impressive victory, roaring past a somewhat reinvigorated […]
Tags: Barbara Slavin Posted in Barbara Slavin
Rising Anti-Semitism in Europe Prompts Exodus
Posted March 9th, 2015 at 1:33 pm (UTC-5)
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Among those attending the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington last week was Roger Cukierman, president of an umbrella group of Jewish organizations in France. Anti-Semitic violence there has gotten global attention since the January attacks on a Jewish deli and the headquarters of a satirical magazine in Paris, […]
Tags: Barbara Slavin Posted in Barbara Slavin
Extreme Intolerance Will Doom ‘Islamic State’
Posted February 27th, 2015 at 1:33 pm (UTC-5)
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The group that calls itself the Islamic State (IS) can’t abide competition even from the mute remains of its region’s fabled past. An equal opportunity destroyer, IS has gone beyond lopping off the heads of live perceived enemies to demolishing priceless artifacts from ancient Mesopotamia that had survived previous waves of conquest. The group’s extreme […]
Tags: Barbara Slavin Posted in Barbara Slavin