Middle East Articles

One of the first priorities of US President Barack Obama will be to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. A nuclear Iran would pose a strategic threat not only to the region, but to the world. It would seriously undermine the non-proliferation regime. Regional powers such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey might be tempted to enrich uranium, a situation which may lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Ultimately, we may be faced with a large number of countries with uranium enrichment programs. The likelihood that a terrorist organization will acquire nuclear weapons in the future increases as more national governments acquire nuclear capability.

President-elect Barack Obama was the world’s favored candidate in what has been called the first global election. In Muslim countries, however, considerable scepticism existed as to whether US foreign policy would change for the better with a new President. Prior to the election, a poll in Pakistan found an overwhelming majority of people believing that even if Obama won, little change would manifest with his administration. A Gallup poll conducted in 70 countries worldwide found that 9 out of 10 Pakistanis had no preference between the Presidential nominees. This mood changed significantly with his victory.

Seven years after the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghans—and the international community—are still struggling to construct a state with a functioning government, licit economic growth, and improved social conditions. While the country has seen significant advancements since 2001, particularly in terms of health, education, and other socioeconomic factors, few would argue that the situation in Afghanistan is progressing well.

Sitting in a focus group, a young Jordanian bewailed America’s relationship with his region: “Since 1948, we have tried peace, but everything turned out to be a lie. Looking to the future, we don’t see anything except more wars, problems and efforts to control our leadership.” While in recent years, views of the United States have been quite negative around the world, they have been particularly virulent in the Middle East.