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4 days ago | 
gatestoneinstitute.org | Amir Taheri
It was barely a month ago when TV watchers across the globe saw a show in which new US president Donald Trump treated visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as one of those voodoo dolls made for pushing needles into thus dodging a curse. After the show, TV talking heads speculated that, having come to the White House dressed as a rock star rather than a statesman, Zelensky had angered Trump and thus deserved what he got.
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6 days ago | 
english.aawsat.com | Abdulrahman al-Rashed |Mustafa Fahs |Hazem Saghieh |Amir Taheri
Some are preempting US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf next month by discussing the promised three trillion dollars, suggesting it should be conditional upon achieving political deals – ranging from Gaza to a Palestinian state, to Yemen and Iran. First, these are business deals, including civil, military, and investment projects – not political trade-offs.
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6 days ago | 
english.aawsat.com | Mustafa Fahs |Hazem Saghieh |Amir Taheri |Hanna Saleh
Between Aoun's insistence on the state monopolizing arms and Hezbollah reverting back to its position on maintaining its arms, reproducing its previous taboos and reiterating the notorious threat “to cut off the hand that reaches for the weapons,” Lebanon (its state, people, sectarian and political parties) face two opposing challenges.
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6 days ago | 
english.aawsat.com | Hazem Saghieh |Amir Taheri |Hanna Saleh |Tariq Al-Homayed
A few days ago, on the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese war, the culture of shirking responsibility for this conflict beamed once again. Several writers and observers have pointed to some manifestations of this culture whose prevalence has not been hindered by its corruption. The war is "the events," or the "inauspicious" or "painful" events - terminology that is meant to downplay its belligerent identity and emphasize its emotional impact while also obscuring its real makers.
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6 days ago | 
english.aawsat.com | Amir Taheri |Hanna Saleh |Tariq Al-Homayed |Hazem Saghieh
It was barely a month ago when TV watchers across the globe saw a show in which new US president Donald Trump treated visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as one of those voodoo dolls made for pushing needles into thus dodging a curse. After the show TV talking heads speculated that having come to the White House dressed as a rockstar rather than a statesman, Zelensky had angered Trump and thus deserved what he got.
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1 week ago | 
gatestoneinstitute.org | Amir Taheri
Despite the great deal of sound and fury that it has generated, it is perhaps too early to assess the lasting impact of President Donald Trump's latest fireworks on tariffs. Some things, however, are certain. Contrary to assertions by talking heads on the small screen, we are not heading for a global trade war. True, the US is the world's biggest economy and ranks second as a trading power. But its share of world trade hovers around 12 percent, or under 10 percent of its GDP.
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1 week ago | 
english.aawsat.com | Amir Taheri |Hazem Saghieh |Hanna Saleh |Tariq Al-Homayed
Despite the great deal of sound and fury that it has generated, it is perhaps too early to assess the lasting impact of President Donald Trump’s latest fireworks on tariffs. Some things, however, are certain. Contrary to assertions by talking heads on the small screen, we are not heading for a global trade war. True, the US is the world’s biggest economy and ranks second as a trading power. But its share of world trade hovers around 12 percent or under 10 percent of its GDP.
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2 weeks ago | 
english.aawsat.com | Ross Douthat |Hassan Al Mustafa |Mustafa Fahs |Amir Taheri
There are two related theories of what Donald Trump’s dramatic revision of the global trade system is intended to accomplish. First, the goal is to revitalize American manufacturing, our capacity to build at home and export to the world.
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2 weeks ago | 
gatestoneinstitute.org | Amir Taheri
After a three-year break, a serial that started almost 50 years ago is expected to return to world screens with a new season: Uncle Sam wooing the Mullahs of Tehran. The new season started with a letter sent by US President Donald J. Trump to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei three weeks ago, reportedly inviting him for a face-to-face rendezvous.
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2 weeks ago | 
english.aawsat.com | Hassan Al Mustafa |Mustafa Fahs |Amir Taheri |Hazem Saghieh
Sectarianism has a profound role in shaping the consciousness of wide segments of the Middle East’s population. It increases their propensity for violent behavior, both verbal and physical, and can lead to sectarian discrimination. Sectarianism is not born of a single factor. Rather, a set of overlapping factors makes it a complex problem.
