The week in the Middle East
The Middle East Channel kicked off its first week with extensive coverage of Iraq’s parliamentary election. We hosted a conference call with some of the most prominent Western journalists on the ground at the time of the election, explored its implications for the disputed territory of Kirkuk, and explained how the post-election maneuvering will affect ...
The Middle East Channel kicked off its first week with extensive coverage of Iraq's parliamentary election. We hosted a conference call with some of the most prominent Western journalists on the ground at the time of the election, explored its implications for the disputed territory of Kirkuk, and explained how the post-election maneuvering will affect the selection of Iraq's next president. We also took a look at how the elections played out among Iraqi voters in Jordan, and the role of women in the campaign. Former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker also weighed in with his perspective on what the election means for Iraq's future.
The Middle East Channel kicked off its first week with extensive coverage of Iraq’s parliamentary election. We hosted a conference call with some of the most prominent Western journalists on the ground at the time of the election, explored its implications for the disputed territory of Kirkuk, and explained how the post-election maneuvering will affect the selection of Iraq’s next president. We also took a look at how the elections played out among Iraqi voters in Jordan, and the role of women in the campaign. Former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker also weighed in with his perspective on what the election means for Iraq’s future.
But the Middle East Channel was far more than all Iraq, all the time. Daniel Levy covered U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel, and the subsequent diplomatic fallout from the Israeli announcement of further settlement construction in East Jerusalem. Haaretz’s Amos Harel tackled what this fiasco means for U.S.-Israeli relations going forward. Dmitry Reider also described how Israel’s cringe-worthy PR campaign is indicative of how Israelis misunderstand how to improve their international reputation.
Elsewhere in the region, Thomas Hegghammer discussed Saudi Arabia’s successful counterterrorism strategy, Sean Brooks clarified the precarious status of peace talks in Darfur, Marc Lynch looked at an unusual corruption crackdown in Jordan, and Issandr Amrani unraveled the details behind the murder of Algeria’s chief of police. Finally, Steven Cook took a broad view of the region, looking back on what the neoconservatives got right about the Middle East.
All in all, it has been a great first week for the Middle East Channel. Week two is going to bring even more great content, so visit early and often!
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