Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
US policy is to kill the bad guys in drone strikes. But what if it kills innocent people instead? Or the attacks create more militants than they destroy? Or the "bad guys" are providing services to citizens that government isn't?
Rare pictures of desperately sad situation in city of Saada, northern Yemen. A historic city in ruins thanks to fighting between government forces and Shia rebels. A must-see for anyone remotely interested in Yemen
They're not "taking over" anywhere in fact. And nor, certainly, have Arabs chosen "the path of Islam", whatever that may mean. Here's a useful analysis of just what gains Islamist groups have made in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere
Short, very interesting piece that goes beyond headlines of opposition to President Saleh. Employees of state institutions are rising up against their bosses, invariably Saleh appointees, and demanding their dismissal. It's working
At number one: The overthrow of Saddam Hussein helped inspire uprisings against authoritarian rulers elsewhere. Wrong. No Arabs see anything in Iraq they want to replicate. So who spearheaded the uprisings and who's benefiting?
Concise review of the year that shook the Arab world. Youth who went onto the streets saw the nepotistic elites as predatory. They've now ended the prospect of sons of dictators coming to power. And that's no mean achievement
It began in Tunisia in December 2010. "My son set himself on fire for dignity," says Mannoubia Bouazizi. If only that frustrated and despairing young man, Mohamed Bouazizi, knew what his action had helped inspire
Putting the Arab uprisings in historical perspective. Building new political orders is difficult, unpredictable, takes time. Look at what happened with the French and Russian revolutions, Iran, even America
Useful backgrounder on AQ arm based in Yemen. US policy, focused on drone strikes and support for an unpopular autocratic president, now "adrift". Better to use soft power, condition aid on departure of president
Is it people vs regimes or Sunnis vs everyone else. Ibish argues that it's increasingly looking like the latter. If true, a grave threat. Counternarratives are needed
For once, Nobel committee got it right. "Tawakkul Karman has been a tireless, creative and effective advocate for human rights, media freedoms, and democracy for years." Let's hope her award helps bring change to Yemen
Excellent round-up. American-led order is collapsing. There will be "no good guys or bad guys, no 'rogue states' and 'moderates'. Each player is readjusting its policy on its own". Like the din before a concert as musicians tune up
