Middle East

Iranian-born author and scholar, Afshin Molavi talks about Iranian politics, Saudi Arabia’s growing diplomatic role in the Middle East and US policy toward the region. He also discusses "the new Silk Road, an economic dynamic fueled by India and China's rising influence in the Persian Gulf region, with VOA’s Spozhmai Maiwandi, program Manager of the South and West Asia Division, and host Carol Castiel.

Over two million Iraqi refugees have fled their country’s borders since the American-led invasion that overthrew the regime of Saddam Hussein. Although the largest concentrations are in Syria and Jordan, up to 150,000 Iraqis have settled in Egypt. Wary of the massive influx experienced in Syria and Jordan, the Egyptian authorities have reportedly closed their door to new Iraqis and have not granted those Iraqis who have made it to Egypt any official status or access to social services.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- When Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the oil giant Saudi Aramco last year, he didn’t need a translator. Plenty of Chinese-speaking Saudis were on hand. A few years earlier, Saudi Aramco had sent dozens of employees to study in Beijing. After all, China, not the United States, represents the future growth for Saudi oil exports.

Chuck Hagel has walked the walk. His experience in military service, not to mention his medal-winning heroism in Vietnam four decades ago, distinguishes him from most of those who make American foreign policy these days. But as for talking the talk -- well, his talk about foreign policy isn’t ultimately much different from that of the foreign-policy establishment that got us into Iraq and that wants to keep us imposing martial hegemony in the Middle East forever.

Jesus knew viral marketing.

In the Gospel of Mark, the disciple John complains that nondisciples are selling bootlegged copies of Jesus’ miraculous powers. ‘‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

Jesus tells John to quit obsessing about the intellectual property and to focus on getting the brand out. ‘‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.” Jesus adds, ‘‘Whoever is not against us is for us.”

For all the bluster about the United States’ democratization policy, military action remains America’s principal weapon for confronting Islamist extremism. In many parts of the world, U.S. forces have teamed with the security and intelligence services of Muslim states to "take the fight to the enemy" and root out common foes. Muslim regimes from North Africa to Asia had been feeling the heat well before September 11 from Islamist groups that had labeled them apostate.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR, THIS WEEK AT WAR: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Jerusalem on Tuesday. But Israelis and Palestinians meeting to talk about day to day issues is a long way from working out the tough realities of a peace deal. Is this just another dead end or can these leaders actually make it work?

Joining us for some perspective is Daniel Levy. He is a former adviser to the Israeli government and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and the Century Foundation...

"If we were not fighting and destroying this enemy in Iraq, they would not be idle. They would be plotting and killing Americans across the world and within our own borders. By fighting these terrorists in Iraq, Americans in uniform are defeating a direct threat to the American people." So said President Bush on November 30, 2005, refining his earlier call to "bring them on." Jihadist terrorists, the administration’s argument went, would be drawn to Iraq like moths to a flame, and would perish there rather than wreak havoc elsewhere in the world.

A meeting of Arab and Muslim leaders here that ended Thursday provided a venue for Saudi Arabia to put some distance between itself and the US, hand-wringing about the possible spread of Iraq's civil war, and negotiations to resolve the growing crisis between Iran and Britain...

JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began a new round of Mideast peace talks Sunday with an acknowledgment that her 3-month-old initiative is starting slowly and going back over basic issues that divide Israel and the Palestinians.

Rice, who met with the top Israeli and Palestinian officials, described her method as a "step-by-step" approach that requires spending time on such spadework as sitting patiently with leaders from both sides to learn their views...