Politics
Topics
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US-Pakistani RelationsPact with the Devil
Pakistan was supposed to serve the USA as a bulwark in the war on terror. Things haven't quite worked out as planned because President Musharraf entered into a Faustian pact with Islamic fundamentalists. Bernard Imhasly reports from Islamabad
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Presidential Elections in Yemen
The First Real Election Campaign
As elections approach in Yemen, the current president has little reason to fear defeat after almost three decades in power. Nevertheless, the elections could lead to more democracy in the country. By Klaus Heymach and Susanne Sporrer
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Islamist Groups after 9/11
A Historic Opportunity to Expand
Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, moderate Islamist groups were able to achieve progress, since they forced the West to differentiate between moderate and radical Islamists. An analysis by Slaheddine Jourchi
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Five-Year Commemoration of 9/11
The Primal Scene of a Global Confrontation
September 11 marks the start of a logic of escalation. Even those of our generation understand how such an escalation begins and how it continues to spiral upwards. What we still don't know is how it can be stopped, writes Robert Misik
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Amnesty for Islamist Fighters in Algeria
Extension of Deadline Not Ruled Out
The end of August marked the expiration of the period during which radical Islamists in Algeria could lay down their weapons and take advantage of the offer of amnesty. Few fighters have responded to the offer to date. Bernhard Schmid reports on why
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Kurdish Conflict Flares Up Once More
The "Freedom Falcons of Kurdistan" Thwart the Ceasefire
Only a few days after the PKK offered a ceasefire agreement to the Turkish state, the "Freedom Falcons of Kurdistan" carried out a number of terrorist attacks. Ömer Erzeren believes that they were a sign the Kurdish movement doesn't know which direction it's going in
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In the Aftermath of the Lebanon War
The Big Loser: Democracy
Following three years of unprecedented political dynamism and debates regarding the prospects for democratic transformation in the Arab world, the Arab-Israeli conflict returned to the forefront.
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New Shia Confidence
Shiite "Arc of Crisis" in the Middle East?
In his article, Middle East and Islam expert Arnold Hottinger describes how, in the recent past, Shia influence in the Middle East has been fuelled by the Iraq and Lebanon armed conflicts
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The Lack of Development in Sinai
Poor Huts instead of Flourishing Resorts
The national program to develop the Sinai has resulted in the building of some infrastructure, but has not succeeded in attracting investors to the region, except for a few committed visionaries. Frederik Richter reports
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Iran Nuclear Crisis
Iran Lacking in Diplomacy
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again voiced defiance as the UN Security Council deadline for Iran to halt its nuclear program nears. And he again did so without tact or diplomacy, says Peter Philipp
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Domestic Policy in Iran
Intellectuals and Civil Society under Fire
The more pressure Iran's foreign policy brings down on the country, the easier it is for the government to stir up citizens' suspicions of both internal and external enemies. The victims are intellectuals, artists, and journalists. By Bahman Nirumand
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Islamic Militans in Pakistan
The Janus Head of the Musharraf Regime
After 9/11, Pakistan became an important US ally in the battle against terror. But for tactical reasons, the government is not particularly eager to attack the ideological base of the Islamic militants, as Boris Wilke explains in an interview with Thomas Bärthlein.
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