- May 19, 2024
Middle East
Hamas at 24: Politics of Resistance in Changing Middle East
By Ramzy Baroud Ever since Hamas emerged victorious in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections, myriad public opinion polls revealed that its popularity in the Occupied Territories was on a steady decline. However, there are actually few indications that Hamas as a popular movement will be departing the Palestinian political landscape anytime soon. Ongoing talks in […]
Towards a True Paradigm Shift in Palestine
By Ramzy Baroud The Palestinian Uprising or Intifada of 1987 remains the single most significant triumph of popular mobilization in Palestinian history. The First Intifada, as it is commonly known, had, once and for all, placed the Palestinian people as a collective on the political map of a region that previously had room only for […]
League Action Reflects Regional Rivalry
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News According to various media commentators, the rapid Arab League mobilisation against Syria is proof of the organisation rising to an urgent collective responsibility against impending dangers. However, such an assumption is either misguided or misconstrued. The so-called Arab Spring has largely been credited for the League’s actions. While […]
On Freedom and Imperialism: Arab Spring and the Intellectual Divide
By Ramzy Baroud The so-called ‘Arab Spring’ is creating an intellectual divide that threatens any sensible understanding of the turmoil engulfing several Arab countries. While it is widely understood that revolutions endeavor to overthrow political structures and aim to change the social order and power paradigm within any given society, there is still no single, […]
Turkey and the Syrian ‘Abyss’
By Ramzy Baroud When Recep Tayyip Erdogan became Turkey’s prime minister in 2003, he seemed to be certain of the new direction his country would take. It would maintain cordial ties with Turkey’s old friends, Israel included, but also reach out to its Arab and Muslim neighbors, Syria in particular. The friendly relations between Ankara […]
Syria’s Fate in Its Citizens’ Hands
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News The popular uprising in Syria is hovering over a fine line that separates it from full-blown civil war. If the latter were to happen, it could open the door to other frightening developments, including foreign military intervention. Protests in Syria began on January 26, and a more inclusive […]
Syria Uprising Falls Victim to Power Plays
By Ramzy Baroud Syrians continue to be victimized, not only in violent clashes with the Syrian military, but also by regional and international players with various agendas. Protests in Syria began on January 26, and a more inclusive uprising was set in motion on March 15. The initial demand was for serious political reforms, but […]
‘Islamists’ on Probation: Western Reaction to Tunisian Elections
By Ramzy Baroud Following Tunisia’s first fair and free elections on October 27, the Western media responded with a characteristic sense of fear and alarm. For many, it seemed that the ghost of the Islamic menace was back to haunt ‘Western values’ throughout the Arab world. The narrative employed by media outlets was no more […]
The Shock Doctrine: The Unwritten Libya Chapter
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News Shortly before committing suicide in 1961, the American author Ernest Hemingway wrote about his electroshock therapy. "Well, what is the sense of ruining my head and erasing my memory, which is my capital, and putting me out of business? It was a brilliant cure but we lost the […]
Iraq War Declared Over, but War Party Persists
By Ramzy Baroud In a White House Statement on October 21, US President Barack Obama pledged that his country would finally withdraw forces from Iraq. “After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over,” he said. Providing some context to Obama’s announcement, a CBSNews.com report published on the same day stated, “The war […]
People’s Conspiracy: Writing off the Arabs
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News Professor Robert B. was my first Middle East politics lecturer at the University of Washington. Only minutes into his opening lecture, he made a comment that had me sink into my seat with embarrassment: “The Arab world is made of strong leaders and weak people.” While I didn’t feel […]
The Syrian Uprising: US Follows a Failed Path
By Ramzy Baroud United States ambassador to Syria Robert Ford is quite a feisty diplomat. He shows up unannounced and uninvited at various hot spots in the country, greeted with varying degrees of enthusiasm and, oftentimes, anger. When he made a highly touted appearance in the city of Hama in July, residents reportedly greeted him […]
Abbas’ Speech Seems to Appreciate Changing Reality
By Ramzy Baroud – Special to Gulf News Mamhoud Abbass’ UN General Assembly speech on September 23 is likely to go down in history. This is not owing to the intellectual enormity of Abbas himself, nor of his politically-subservient Palestinian National Authority (PNA), but rather because it reflects the triumph of the Palestinian will after […]
Arab Spring Exposes Duplicity of Conventional Western Policy
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News For many Arabs, Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg is just another politician committed to preserving his interests and those of the ruling class in his country. Despite his attempts at appearing kinder than other mainstream British leaders, it isn’t hard to see through Clegg’s repeated enthusiastic references […]
For the Love of Israel: Congresswoman’s Misguided War on the UN
By Ramzy Baroud From an Israeli point of view, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the ideal American politician. Although many in the US government aspire to her level of commitment to Israel, few can measure up to a dedication that extends beyond the very interests of her own country. “Lawless extremists infest Congress like crabgrass besets […]
Libyans Must Fully Liberate Themselves
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News Now that Gaddafi and his sons are on the run, western allies are speaking of an orderly transition, nation-building, and direct intervention in managing post-Gaddafi Libyan affairs. It is understood that the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi and his contemptible regime was a ‘regime change from the air’, orchestrated […]
Libya’s Next Fight: The West
By Ramzy Baroud At a press conference in Tripoli on Aug. 26, a statement read aloud by top Libyan rebel commander Abdel Hakim Belhadj was reassuring. Just a few months ago, disorganized and leaderless rebel fighters seemed to have little chance at ousting Libyan dictator Moammar Ghaddafi and his unruly sons. But despite vague references […]
Lurking Dangers to the Arab Quest for Freedom and Reform
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News Arab revolutions are currently facing real dangers, which vacillate between lack of prioritisation, stagnation and foreign intervention. In Egypt, there have been deliberate attempts to divide the objectives of the revolution into blurred ideological classifications. A chasm is already growing between ‘liberal’ and Islamic forces regarding the identity […]
The US-Arab Disconnect
By Ramzy Baroud As the Arab Spring continues to challenge dictators, demolish old structures and ponder roadmaps for a better future, the US remains committed to its failed policies, misconceptions and selfish interests. Arabs may disagree on many things, but few disagree on the fact that there is now no turning back. The age of […]
Syria: Tired Slogans and a Looming Dawn
By Ramzy Baroud There is no linear narrative capable of explaining the multifarious happenings that have gripped Syrian society in recent months. On March 23, as many as 20 peaceful protesters were killed at the hands of Syrian security forces, and many more were wounded. Since then, the violence has escalated to such a level […]
Syrian Voices Refuse to Die Down
By Ramzy Baroud As the Baath regime attempts to quell an unprecedented popular uprising in Syria, it is doing so with a level of brutality that has far surpassed other Arab revolutions (with the exception of Libya). The barbarism of its response has characteristics of Israel’s cruelty in Gaza, Muammar Gaddafi’s disregard for civilian lives […]
Yemen Continues to Inspire Amid Great Odds
By Ramzy Baroud The Yemeni people are unrelenting in their demands for democracy. Millions continue to stage rallies across their country in a display of will that is proving the most robust out of all the Arab revolutions. The Yemenis face great challenges, however, including the political vacillation of their country’s opposition, and the US’ […]
US Invigorates Policy at Gaza’s Expense
By Ramzy Baroud United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made a series of stern and fiery statements recently, giving the impression that war is somehow on us once again. Oddly, Clinton’s sudden reappearance on the Middle East diplomacy scene was triggered by the brave attempts of peace activists to break the siege on […]
Economy Alone Fails to Explain Turkey’s Success
By Ramzy Baroud Many commentators today are basing the success of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the June 12 elections largely on its ability to guide the country through a decade of remarkable growth. Economic indicators are often seen as the obvious logic behind economic stability – lack thereof. However, they are not […]
Revolutionary Egypt Forges Ahead
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News The streets of Cairo are chaotic. Each driver seems to be governed by an entirely different set of traffic rules. Yet, somehow, the cars continue to move forward — for the time being, at least. Egypt is finally free, and Egyptians are savouring every moment of their newly […]
Al Nakba, An Unforgiving Reality
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News It is essential that when we remember Al Nakba, we do not confine our mourning simply to what has been lost. We also need to understand the nature and magnitude of that loss, and what it continues to mean for so many. On May 15, Palestinians worldwide commemorated […]
Moving beyond Bin Ladenism
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News We’ve got him! squealed a waitress as I walked into a coffee shop in Washington state. It took me few moments to realise she was referring to US President Barack Obama’s triumphant declaration of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden near Islamabad on May 2. In no time, […]
Palestinian Unity and the New Middle East
By Ramzy Baroud Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to the Hamas-Fatah deal in Cairo was both swift and predictable. "The Palestinian Authority must choose either peace with Israel or peace with Hamas. There is no possibility for peace with both," he said, in a televised speech shortly after the Palestinian political rivals reached a […]
High Stakes for US in Syria
By Ramzy Baroud, Special to Gulf News Although now largely governed by a military leadership, Egypt, the most populous and influential country in the Arab world, has, for now, escaped the US sphere of influence. It is also showing clear signs that it may fall into a foreboding trajectory involving Iran, Syria and other such […]
US Rethinks Strategy: War as Opportunity in Libya
By Ramzy Baroud The brutality of Libyan leader Moammar Ghaddafi, and his refusal to concede power, is costing Libya much more than innocent lives. The country is now also facing a possible loss of future independence and sovereignty. From its early days, the Libyan revolt seemed to take a difference course than those of other […]
