Roula Khalaf



Profile:
Full name: Roula Khalaf

Area of interest: Middle East politics and business

Journals/Organisation: Financial Times

Email: [mailto:roula.khalaf@ft.com roula.khalaf@ft.com]

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Website: http://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/roula-khalaf

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Networks: https://twitter.com/#!/khalafroula



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Education: Columbia University: International Affairs (MA)

Career: Forbes magazine (New York): staff writer; joined the Financial Times in 1995: North Africa correspondent, Middle East correspondent, Middle East editor

Current position/role: Associate editor and Middle East editor (oversees Middle East coveage and the Middle East edition)


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Remit/Info: Middle East politics and business

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Role: Associate editor and Middle East editor

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Email: [mailto:roula.khalaf@ft.com roula.khalaf@ft.com]

Website: FT.com / Roula Khalaf

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Articles: 2017

 * The Grenfell inferno has burst Kensington’s bubble - London’s second-richest borough symbolises government failures and gaping inequality - 29th June
 * Macron marches France into uncharted optimism - The president’s party is poised to become the most powerful player in French politics - 15th June
 * Accidental encounters in a Manchester on edge - Muslims in the city fear a backlash in the wake of this week’s terrorist attack - 25th May
 * The election, Brexit and the five stages of grief - Many European officials are still stuck in the anger phase - 11th May
 * What Assad can learn from ‘The Godfather’ - It is the fate of US presidents to be dragged into Middle Eastern conflicts - 14th April
 * The threat from North Korea is no joke - Notebook - 16th March
 * West to Russia: you broke Syria, now you fix it - The betting is, having claimed victory Moscow is loath to be tied for the long term - 2nd March
 * Trump — shut out the ideologues around you - The new leader of the free world is willing to trample on American traditions - 2nd February
 * Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was a one-man political balancing act - Notebook - 12th January
 * Brighter sides of an eventful year, from Beirut to Bogotá - For all that went wrong with the liberal world order, there was also some cheer - 5th January



Articles: 2016

 * Egypt’s nostalgia for the rule of Mubarak is misplaced - The wall of fear that was so dramatically shattered is back up, stronger than before - 22nd December
 * Trump the Twitter king: diplomacy in 140 characters - The tweeting won’t look so clever if it sparks a war in some part of the world - 8th December
 * How to talk to kids about President Trump - The hate speech and anger of the winner’s campaign is hard for parents to explain - 17th November
 * Autocrats of the world benefit from Donald Trump’s win - Notebook - 10th November
 * Aleppo and Mosul — two sides of the same sprawling war - Notebook - 27th October
 * Life in Brexit Britain for a proud citizen of the world - Flirting with identity politics seems to be a requirement for mainstream politicians - 13th October
 * Saudi Arabia and its toxic relationship with America - The interests of the two countries are diverging - 6th October
 * End of the Isis old guard signals more danger ahead - Conspiracy theories surround the reported demise of chief propagandist Adnani - 7th September
 * US election plot lines are reminiscent of a cold war classic - Notebook - 28th July
 * From Theresa May to Hillary Clinton: the march of the sisterhood - Notebook: The UK leader has a more promising record than her predecessors on appointing other women - 15th July
 * Young people feel betrayed by Brexit but gave up their voice - Notebook - 30th June
 * The deadly draw of the Isis brand without borders - Notebook - 16th June
 * The UN secretary-general has the most impossible job in the world - Notebook - 9th June
 * How Israel can marshal the ‘good news’ from the Middle East - The country is basking in a newfound convergence of interests with Arab states - 2nd June
 * An inconvenient truth for the Middle East and a line in the sand - Notebook - 20th May
 * Sadiq Khan offers new role model for young European Muslims - Notebook - 12th May
 * Regional politics likely to take bigger role set to take a stronger role in Saudi oil policy - Ali al-Naimi’s exit signals how much things are changing - 9th May
 * Hillary Clinton plays the woman card against Donald Trump - Gender will play a crucial role in the presidential election campaign - 5th May
 * Egyptian satire and the slim textbook of propaganda - The country is more repressive than during the rule of Mubarak - 27th April
 * The Brexiteers at the gates of the Lycée school - Notebook - 21st April
 * A desperate search for the jihadi profile - 7th April
 * A week that makes some sense of Trump’s foreign policy ideas - He needs a crash course in international relations and to learn to differentiate friends from foes - 24th March
 * Les Républicains and their bookstores - Presumed presidential candidates in France seek to seduce their voters with prose - 17th March
 * How has the EU mismanaged the migrant crisis? - FT Debate: Our columnists (Gideon Rachman, Tony Barber, Philip Stephens, David Gardner, Martin Wolf) pore over the bloc’s collective and individual mis-steps - 13th March
 * Miracle path to a frozen Syrian conflict - We should rejoice over the ceasefire but should also remember what the truce cannot achieve - 10th March
 * Iran’s hardliners are rocked - How creative electioneering from a popular politician helped reformists storm back into parliament - 3rd March
 * Death in Aleppo, victory in Russia - Syria’s crisis is set to be bigger and nastier. We can no longer look the other way - 11th February
 * Iraqi Kurds and a cycle of destruction - Some Arabs sympathised with Isis but this does not justify condemning people to a life as refugees - 28th January
 * John Kerry and Javad Zarif set an example in the Middle East - While Iran and its neighbours quarrel, this shows how enemies can be friends - 20th January
 * Cologne and the immigration sex-ratio dilemma - The impact of accepting high numbers of young men into Germany has been overlooked - 14th January
 * Middle East schism threatens more ruin - Rather than a thaw in Iranian-Saudi relations, the year looks set for greater polarisation - 7th January
 * Reform and austerity beckon for Saudis - A lavish welfare state that breeds indolence and apathy must one day come to an end - 4th January



Articles: 2015

 * Khomeini’s return to the Islamic Republic - Grandson of revolutionary leader has star credentials thanks to his name and relative youth - 17th December
 * Self-serving logic of the gun lobby - The obsession with firearms is baffling to people outside the US - 10th December
 * Deadly contest between Isis and al-Qaeda - Scathing dismissal of its rival is one way Isis highlights status as the top terrorist group - 3rd December
 * A new normal emerges in Europe - The Paris bombings will mean a fresh look at civil liberties and physical restrictions - 17th November
 * A welcome step for Saudi suffragettes - The municipal poll promises to be a move towards breaking down social barriers in the kingdom - 12th November
 * Putin vs Obama: the battle for best ally - The Gulf states are at odds with both America and Russia over involvement in Syria - 15th October
 * Rome needs surgery and its mayor wants to operate - Marino, a former surgeon, attracts criticism from a city that lurches from crisis to crisis - 8th October
 * Diplomacy behind Russia’s Syrian bombs - Obama and Putin’s hopes of rescuing the country from disintegration look overblown already - 1st October
 * Putin keeps the west guessing in Syria - The Russian president appears to have shifted gear. And that has caught the US off guard - 17th September
 * The blame game after a child’s tragic death - Though the world’s focus has been on Isis, the Assad regime still kills many more Syrians - 10th September
 * Journalists, repression and ‘conspiracy’ - Some governments use their courts to silence media critics or force them into dubious confessions - 3rd September
 * The real cost of the Iran deal - The US has fallen into the trap of appeasing the Islamic Republic’s rivals, not Tehran - 31st August
 * Something rotten in the state of Lebanon - Support for the You Reek campaign has come from all religions and ethnicities - 27th August
 * Budapest’s battle of the billboard - A one-man party is taking on Viktor Orban, the authoritarian Hungarian prime minister - 23rd July
 * Netanyahu tweets against Iran deal - The Israeli prime minister launched a Twitter feed the day before the nuclear agreement – in Farsi - 16th July
 * Britain deploys soft power against Isis - The government is to commit to a new UK fund to protect cultural property during armed conflict - 25th June
 * Tourists meet Mediterranean boat people - Interaction between visitors and refugees feeds anti-immigration sentiment - 18th June
 * Humour as a weapon in the fight with Isis - Anti-Isis satirical TV series, songs, plays and sketches are proliferating - 11th June
 * Turkey’s Erdogan borrows some bad habits - The president seems to combine many vices in a single leadership - 4th June
 * German scholars illuminate sacred book - The Corpus Coranicum project builds on tradition of Koranic study halted by the Third Reich - 28th May
 * Saudi vies for Great Satan status in Iran - Persian-Arab enmity goes back centuries; Iranian-US hostility is only a few decades old - 21st May
 * Art replaces adverts in the Islamic Republic - The billboard exhibition is a welcome distraction for some - 14th May
 * Lebanon takes on its traffic problems - Unable to tackle the big issues, ministers are trying to improve citizens’ lives in small ways - 7th May
 * Misplaced nostalgia for Libyan colonel - Tragic loss of life at sea is no excuse for some to wish dictator was still in charge - 30th April
 * A US hawk ponders the big prey in 2016 - Bolton considers adding his name as a Republican candidate - 23rd April
 * Mixed messages in a divided region - Among some in the Middle East, hatred of sectarianism is greater than sectarian hatred - 9th April
 * Iran’s chief weapon sheds his mysteries - The once reclusive General Soleimani has emerged into the public eye - 2nd April
 * Israel’s outbreak of political sincerity - Netanyahu’s pre-election comments against a two-state solution have gone down badly - 26th March
 * Imagining the world of Tony Blair - His role as Middle East peace envoy is nearing a long-overdue end - 19th March
 * Hong Kong’s lucky revolutionaries - Despite tear gas attacks and violent confrontations, protests ended without bloodshed - 5th March
 * Switzerland misses Russian skiers - Sochi is seeing more visitors as domestic financial woes keep tourists close to home - 19th February
 * The power of the ballot box in Tunisia - Ghannouchi and the shrewd face of political Islam - 5th February
 * Washington trip is risky for Netanyahu - The Israeli prime minister should not address Congress on Iran’s nuclear threat - 29th January
 * Jihadi jailers put Beirut in a bind - In an appalling failure, Lebanon’s politicians let terrorists turn a prison into a command centre - 22nd January
 * The search for a Muslim Martin Luther - Reform of ideology cannot be achieved amid Mideast’s atmosphere of intimidation and intolerance - 15th January
 * Iran’s matters of the heart - The success of negotiations depends on political will, but also numbers and technical concessions - 8th January



Articles: 2014

 * A kingdom fit for an oil price ordeal - Saudi Arabia has been showing that in hydrocarbons only the fittest keep market share - 30th December
 * The 10 worst jobs in politics - We all have our bad days but these people really do have more than most - 18th December
 * Shifts and shocks on the soft power scale - The US tops the list for the Monocle Magazine survey, bumping Germany into second - 11th December
 * The UAE’s blacklist places it centre stage - Naming these groups creates suspicion around them and puts them on the defensive - 27th November
 * Kurdistan: a nation in waiting - The Kurds of northern Iraq face terror from Isis and political pressure from Baghdad – jeopardising their long-held dream of independence - 22nd November
 * Glitter comes off golden visas - Portugal’s investigation will increase scrutiny of these programmes - 19th November
 * Detente and messages to the Ayatollah - The American president has been indulging in a correspondence with Iran’s Supreme Leader - 12th November
 * Kurdistan’s happier anti-Isis warriors - Peshmerga fighters are grateful for western aid but may face disappointment over independence - 6th November
 * The French mayor, the pig, the butcher - Hayange’s National Front leader is supposed to portray a more respectable version of his party - 30th October
 * Of shares, fatwas and marriage advice - Clerics have a relentless need to convey religious opinion upon every aspect of people’s lives - 23rd October
 * Tunisia still holds dream of freedom - The spring has ended but there is at least one survivor in the region - 16th October
 * Google renders textbook tinkering futile - Just because it does not appear on the written record does not mean that it did not happen - 9th October
 * The curious case of the Khorasan group - The latest jihadi outfit on the scene appears to fall into the known unknown category - 2nd October
 * Isis and the aunts from Karamlish - As we cheer the protection of Middle East minorities, we often lose sight of the majority - 25th September
 * Fact and friction in Catalonia’s debate - Lines have been drawn, imaginary or not, in a sham debate in which neither side hears the other - 18th September
 * Europe’s empires did not light the fuse - To blame Sykes-Picot is to ignore the fact of deeply entrenched territorial nationalism in Arab states - 30th June
 * Why Iraq’s crisis is a self-inflicted wound - Fall of Mosul encapsulates tragedy of a failed state - 12th June
 * Strongmen return to dash Arab spring hopes - Rulers would be wrong to assume that nothing has changed - 6th June
 * A phoney war fuelled by fantasy politics - Rebels cling to dubious causes in a region where all that is real is industrial desolation - 22nd May
 * From pariahs to power – and back again - Shadi Hamid’s ‘Temptations of Power’ argues that Mideast Islamists have wasted political capital - 28th April
 * Sisi’s poll will not end discord in Egypt - Political Islam can be countered only with a pluralism that this leader will not countenance - 23rd April
 * Emir of Qatar faces his first big test - Doha in a spat with Gulf neighbours over support for Islamists - 10th March
 * Rouhani dodges hardliners . . . for now - Iran’s president can still count on the support of Khamenei - 12th February
 * My encounter with the Wolf of Wall St - As the journalist in Scorsese’s film, I now see Jordan Belfort is small fry by today’s standards - 22nd January
 * The costs of clandestine talks with Syria’s strongman - As rebels battle each other and the west works out its strategy, Assad exploits the muddle - 18th January
 * Maliki fights fire in Iraq he helped to start - Prime minister’s crackdown on Sunni minority has ignited violence - 9th January
 * Middle East: Terms of engagement - US attempts to limit involvement in the region have angered its traditional allies - 5th January



Articles: 2013

 * Western policy has benefited Assad - The dictator can now claim that the rebels offer no alternative - 30th December
 * Iran’s reformists need west’s support - Their ability to survive depends upon the success of nuclear negotiations - 23rd December
 * Morsi trial new sign Egypt on wrong path - Trial of the deposed president seen as perversion of justice - 6th November
 * Saudi pique will not change UN policy - Refusing security seat takes politics of anger to new level - 22nd October
 * Western disarray gives succour to Assad - Obama’s change of heart looks like a sign of western weakness - 2nd September
 * Egypt’s unravelling threatens democracy - The coup threatens to bring down with it the political transition that had begun in the region - 13th July
 * Algeria’s shadow looms over Egyptians - Islamist leaders warn Brotherhood to learn from their experience - 10th July
 * Morsi’s removal reveals unbridgeable rift - The country is at risk of turning into war-torn 1990s Algeria - 9th July
 * Brotherhood’s sense of victimhood will grow - Islamists will read president’s removal as a lesson in the futility of playing by democratic rules - 5th July
 * Egyptians stage a second revolution - Country faces another huge leap into the unknown - 2nd July
 * Sheikha Moza, matriarch of the modern Gulf - With her son in office, the former first lady’s legacy is secure, write Simeon Kerr and Roula Khalaf - 29th June
 * Iranian elections create pain for regime - Wild card candidates confuse attempts to orchestrate vote - 15th May
 * The west is losing friends in Syria - The opposition will lose its legitimacy without support from abroad - 27th April
 * Syria’s jihadis deal blow to rebel cause - Al-Nusra leader’s move reinforces Assad’s narrative - 15th April
 * Iran talks hold some hope despite deadlock - Negotiations continue and tightening sanctions could have effect - 11th April
 * Egypt’s comic twists turning into farce - Bassem Youssef is among comedians, bloggers and journalists being prosecuted - 9th April
 * Egypt is a crisis that can be solved - It is in the US’s interest to restore the nation’s economy and politics - 26th March
 * Syria war behind Lebanon’s latest crisis - PM’s resignation another sign of Lebanon’s downward spiral - 25th March
 * Website gives voice to secular Arabs - Online publication questions role of religion in life - 19th March
 * Iraq: 10 years later - A decade on from the US invasion, the country is engulfed in a political storm and normal life is still just a dream - 16th March
 * Western governments struggle with Syria - Pressure produces escalation of non-lethal aid to rebels - 12th March
 * The alluring but misleading Turkish model - The country and its Arab neighbours are at different stages - 12th February
 * Arab world: Underfunded renaissance - Inexperienced Islamist leaders in Egypt and Tunisia are struggling to manage economic grievances - 11th February
 * Tunisia enters ‘phase of absurdity’ - Central bank head says politics hinders slow path to recovery - 5th February
 * Al-Qaeda: The jihadi hydra - withJames Blitz: The west is still struggling to contain the constantly changing face of Islamist terrorism - 4th February
 * Israel and Assad raise stakes on Syria - Risk of regional contagion grows - 4th February
 * Israelis show yearning for middle ground - Yair Lapid’s moderate view key to easing Israel’s hardline image - 29th January
 * Algeria shows we need a new approach to terrorism - Even if all jihadis look the same, it is crucial to understand changing local environments - 19th January
 * The Salafi surge - The Arab uprisings have allowed a long-suppressed ultraconservative Sunni sect to gain influence - 2nd January



Articles: 2012

 * Morsi has squandered Egypt’s goodwill - Power grab suggests he is no longer a unifier, with Heba Saleh - 1st December
 * The turmoil in Cairo is not all bad news - However much Egyptians long for stability, they will not stand for a return to autocratic rule - 30th November
 * Morsi’s decree deepens Egypt’s divisions - Mohamed Morsi’s declaration to rule unchallenged could backfire - 1st December
 * New Middle East runs into old realities - Antagonists testing each others’ limits in wake of Arab Spring - 19th November
 * Iran will remain focus of Obama’s concern - Guarded US approach to Middle East set to continue - 12th November
 * The Muslim sisterhood - To the outside world, Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood appears to be exclusively male. But behind the scenes and on the street women are now stepping out of the shadows and emerging as a vital political force - 2nd November
 * Rial’s slide is little cause for jubilation - It is unlikely the ayatollah will suddenly shift his priorities in the face of sanctions - 6th October
 * Obama should not despair at Arab rage - Despite unrest, US policies have improved America’s standing - 18th September
 * Morsi’s foreign policy defies sceptics - Egypt’s new president has impressed with stances on US and Syria but tough tests lie ahead - 11th September
 * Dark imaginings lurk behind the headlines - Subsets of some unlikely and lethal scenarios are not impossible - 6th August
 * Saudi hawk will prey on Assad’s mind - Riyadh’s hardline new spymaster has close US ties - 24th July
 * Syria’s fate alarms neighbours - Supporters and foes alike fear the fall of Assad - 23rd July
 * America has navigated the Middle East minefield - The US has recognised that it must deal with emerging political forces - 20th July
 * Kings trump aid for Arab spring nations - Funds pledged to Egypt and Tunisia fall short but Jordan favoured - 17th July
 * Syria: Urban fronts - Violence has reached the Assad strongholds of Damascus and Aleppo, taking the conflict to a new level. By Michael Peel and Roula Khalaf - 4th July
 * Egypt’s divisions aid counter-revolution - Islamist and secular liberal rivalry allows soft coup - 19th June
 * Bashar al-Assad: behind the mask - He was an unpromising youth who gained power by accident. Today he’s the Arab world’s most notorious dictator, terrifying those around him into silence - 16th June
 * Time to consider military options in Syria - It is ludicrous to wait for the country’s opposition overseas to unite - 6th June
 * World waits on Russia to stop backing Assad - West is not willing yet to declare failure of UN mission - 29th May
 * Egypt: From shadows to spotlight - Presidential polls present a challenge for the Muslim Brotherhood, already subject to mounting criticism at home and scrutiny abroad, with Heba Saleh - 26th May
 * Egypt tastes fruit of democratic struggle - Arabs savour first televised presidential election debate - 15th May
 * Egypt’s transition confuses and frustrates - Shift to democracy has not followed smooth path - 7th May
 * Protest jokes darken Arab rulers’ humour - Opponents cheered by comedy that ridicules autocrats - 24th March
 * Baba Amr’s fall signals more violence in Syria - Both sides likely to step up their military efforts - 5th March
 * Egypt plots strange course on foreign policy - Crucial international aid at risk with crackdown on NGOs - 28th February
 * Arab League turns the screw on Assad regime - Region offers non-UN route to change in Syria - 14th February
 * Charity begins at home for Saudi Arabia - Jobs and housing take priority over west - 31st Janaury
 * Middle East: Tumultuous Arab states take centre stage - Roula Khalaf finds the region at the top of agendas far beyond its own borders - 25th January
 * Qatar has little to lose in opposing Assad - Doha’s call for the deployment of Arab troops in Syria reflects the fact that its best interests firmly lie in the regime’s removal - 15th January
 * League’s fumbling risks letting Assad off hook - Push to isolate the president has been set back by both the mission’s own fumbling and divisions within Syria’s opposition - 10th January



Articles: 2011

 * Egypt: A religious revival - As Islamists emerge from elections as the country’s leading political force – to the alarm of democracy campaigners and regional autocrats alike – western governments will have to adapt to a power shift they have long sought to prevent - 31st December
 * A generation at last in ferment - The Arab youth have defied clichés and clampdowns to fracture an adamantine order - 24th December
 * Tunisia must nip Islamist excesses in the bud - The country has enjoyed a relatively smooth post-revolution transition but intimidatory protests in universities require a forceful response - 13th December
 * Brotherhood faces Egypt’s awkward new reality - The election winners must deal with economic crisis, people’s high expectations and a military intent on retaining political influence - 7th December
 * Qatar steps in to fill regional void - Doha is cheering on the Arab spring, comfortable in the company of Islamists emerging as a rising power and celebrating Hosni Mubarak’s demise - 1st December
 * Syrian regime reaches point of no return - The objective of the Arab League sanctions announced on Sunday – including travel and airline restrictions – is to dry up the regime’s access to financing - 30th November
 * Bahrain at crossroads on path to reconciliation - West hopes reformers will be strengthened by abuses report - 24th November
 * Army loses its charm among political class - The return of the revolutionary youth to Tahrir Square should be seen as a stern warning - 21st November
 * Politics stokes fears over Iran nuclear plans - Israel and the US have reasons to raise renewed alarms as the world is distracted by the Arab uprising and the eurozone debt crisis - 14th November
 * Beirut risks backlash over UN court support - Prime minister Najib Mikati’s assurances of co-operation will avert a diplomatic showdown with the US but could provoke a storm in Beirut - 8th November
 * Tunisia shows Libya the way - The hopes of genuine democracy unleashed at the start of the Arab spring early this year came starkly alive in Tunisia - 31st October
 * Egypt: the unfinished revolution - When Mubarak fell, a nation rejoiced. But with elections near, freedom is fragile and the future uncertain - 29th October
 * Towards a new order in the Arab world - Establishing the foundations of a new system will give liberals the space to build a more solid base of support - 21st October
 * Egypt’s generals squirm under grilling - Diplomats say the army does not intend to rule but nor will it simply return to barracks, particularly after wielding such power for decades - 21st October
 * Brotherhood defends election strategy - Egyptian Islamist party aims to win a third of parliamentary seats next month but says a complex voting system is forcing it to adapt its tactics - 20th October
 * ElBaradei warns Egypt’s military - The army’s handling of the Coptic crisis should act as a wake up call for the ruling council, says presidential candidate - 15th October
 * A telling prize for Arab women and Islamists - The Nobel award to Yemeni dissident Tawakul Karman is a powerful message of western acceptance of Islamist political movements - 11th October
 * Analysis: The economics of the Arab spring - A jittery Egyptian cabinet and a push for retribution against business are making investors despair, with Heba Saleh and Abeer Allam - 10th October
 * Unity tested as uprising takes militarised turn - The Syrian National Council aims to show that its struggle is against the Assad family, not the Alawite minority - 5th October
 * Wily Yemeni leader offers only more misery - President Ali Abdullah Saleh is demonstrating extraordinary survival skills but his continuance in power is no answer to his country’s woes - 4th October
 * Gulf royalty pretends it is a special case - 29th September
 * Economic reality hits Arab hopes - Transitional authorities are trapped between populist measures and sound economic management - 27th September
 * Arab spring propels Abbas to UN ploy - Movement for democracy and freedom that swept through Middle East has influenced Palestinian leader to make bold gamble - 20th September
 * The path of politics opens for Islamists - The uprisings across the Arab world have allowed its people to seize their own opportunities for democracy and sidelined the men of violence - 12th September
 * turns on Gaddafi'' - End of another Arab regime will send a chilling message to autocratic rulers - 23rd August
 * world reaches turning point over Syria'' - Assad’s brutality has finally proved too much for neighbouring rulers and his people will now expect more aid from Turkey and Saudi Arabia - 17th August
 * fails to answer Syrian conundrum'' - Economic pressures could be decisive - 6th August
 * dilemma on Syria uprising'' - The Shia militant group and political party is looking exposed by the Syrian crisis, and its problems go far beyond public relations - 6th August
 * lessons of the Arab spring'' - With Ramadan about to start, youth movements intend to escalate their campaigns for freedom – but the price of dismantling decades of autocratic rule is proving high - 29th July
 * Insight: Democratic transitions suffer birth pangs'' - Tensions are growing in Egypt and Tunisia - 27th July
 * Stranded on the island'' - Five months since the majority Shia began protests, their leaders are in jail while the Sunni ruling family is in dialogue with only its more moderate opponents - 14th July
 * silence greets Syria’s uprising'' - Bashar al-Assad is not hated by his fellow Arab leaders as much as Muammer Gaddafi, but he comes a close second - 13th July
 * polarisation threatens Arab spring'' - Collision of popular uprisings with ethnic and religious tensions is damaging the cause of freedom and democracy espoused by protesters - 12th July
 * remain over Morocco'' - Whether the proposals for a new constitution will prove an important step towards a democratic future depends on the king’s real intentions - 27th June
 * raised over Assad’s forces'' - Syria-based analysts say the regime appears to be losing control of parts of the country, with central authority disappearing, and command and control fragmenting - 10th June
 * smoke and mirrors at new stage'' - Mystery over apparent resignation of ambassador to Paris - 9th June
 * fate hangs on militaries'' - Nature of army that ultimately decides outcome - 27th May
 * feels heat from Arab spring'' - Netanyahu government should be striving for a peace deal over the Palestinian issue, not stalling or waiting for all the pieces of the Arab puzzle to fall into place - 24th May
 * clerical elite fractures'' - The Sunni religious establishment, which traditionally backs the regime, has fractured, with some clerics, including influential ones, supporting the protests - 11th May
 * risks sending wrong signal on Assad'' - Leniency towards Syrian president could backfire - 9th May
 * after the revolution'' - Four months after a desperate suicide deposed a dictator and triggered the Arab Spring, Roula Khalaf finds hope but also frustration across a country struggling for a new future - 7th May
 * crackdown radicalises protesters'' - Slogans emphasise national unity over sectarianism - 13th April
 * calls time on Yemen ruler'' - The plan by leaders of neighbouring states to ease Ali Abdullah Saleh from power was a necessary sacrifice to put a lid on an uprising that could inspire other societies - 12th April
 * rulers practise delusion'' - The Middle East’s autocrats are pretending that protests against them are either not happening, too small to be bothered with, or instigated and directed from abroad - 5th April
 * set to reap benefits from Libya mission'' - But it will face Arab opprobrium if the intervention turns sour - 31st March
 * campaign risks damping down Arab spring'' - Gaddafi will draw western forces into a quagmire by using human shields - 21st March
 * of Iraq could leave Libya rebels in dark'' - If opposition is crushed, the west could be blamed - 17th March Libya uprising: In depth
 * outside action can stop Gaddafi'' - Rebel-held Zawiya, the town closest to Tripoli, is critical to the fight - 14th March
 * Middle East gas leak'' - Middle East: As upheavals sweep the Arab world, Saudi Arabia faces ever more insistent warnings that it too may explode unless reforms first ventilate the stuffy kingdom, with Abeer Allam - 11th March Middle East protests: summary
 * outside action can stop Gaddafi'' - Rebel-held Zawiya, the town closest to Tripoli, is critical to the fight - 11th March
 * leaders miss the point'' - Arabs are clamouring for political rights, not just social benefits - 2nd March
 * in the News: the Arab youth'' - The secular youth have been making history in the street - 26th February
 * policy exposed as ‘mad dog’ finds bite'' - As Libyan cities fall into the hands of anti-Gaddafi protesters, the ‘great leader, as he is known in Libya, is looking like a disastrous western bet - 22nd February
 * sharpens hunger for change'' - Every new dawn threatens remaining autocratic rulers - 19th February
 * Insight: Hopes collide with reality'' - Egyptians are reclaiming their country, but their expectations could soon collide with the reality of a nation beset by endemic social and economic problems - 14th February Egypt: summary
 * sabotaging of Iran'' - A clandestine war is being waged on the country’s nuclear programme. So how will it end? - 12th February
 * people discover their power'' - Tahrir Square uprising liberated the country - 11th February
 * trust gap impedes Egypt’s move to democracy'' - Protesters need to believe government will respond to their aspirations - 9th February
 * keen to avoid rush to early polls'' - The US and its European allies are looking to Omar Suleiman, Egypt’s vice-president, to manage an orderly transition to a more democratic system - 8th February
 * hand, an Arab awakening'' - Egypt’s youth-led popular uprising shows change across the region need not be Islamist but it has dealt a shock to the west and undercut leaders’ pursuit of lifetime power - 5th February
 * scenarios for Arab world’s trendsetter'' - From the palaces of Middle Eastern rulers to the corridors of the White House, diplomats have been frantically trying to make sense of the popular uprising in Egypt - 5th February
 * certainty is army will play dominant role'' - Mr Mubarak had deliberately marginalised potential rivals and credible successors and debilitated opposition parties - 31st January
 * Brotherhood has big head start'' - If Egypt moves towards a democratic transition, the Islamist opposition movement, whose foreign policy would be far less accommodating to US, will be an important actor - 31st January
 * approaches an endgame'' - For many Egyptians a transition had already started, with the army and its intentions, though still ambiguous, taking centre stage - 29th January
 * in the News: Hosni Mubarak'' - Egypt’s autocratic, 82-year-old leader is facing the fiercest challenge of his 30-year rule - 29th January
 * carries wider responsibility'' - The task ahead is to consolidate the gains of the revolution and ensure there can be no return to the autocratic past, for the good of the whole Arab world - 25th January (Tunisia: summary)
 * ‘air of liberty’ wafts across Mideast'' - To bring about change elsewhere, Tunisia will need to show that it can engineer an effective transition to a new democratic order, rather than a descent into chaos - 23rd January (with Heba Saleh)
 * did the world get Tunisia so wrong?'' - Mr Ben Ali was not just another Arab autocrat – he was a star in Europe, admired for developing the economy and maintaining stability. Now, questions are being raised - 19th January
 * leaders should watch TV'' - Regimes ruling by fear loses balance once the wall of fear is broken - 15th January
 * resonate for youth across Arab world'' - Tunisia’s unrest has found echoes across the Middle East and North Africa, where social and economic opportunities are limited by high unemployment and autocratic regimes - 11th January
 * that cannot be ignored'' - Recent riots in Algeria and Tunisia over social conditions are a warning to other Arab countries that they ignore economic and political reform at their peril - 11th January
 * leaders battle to stem Christian exodus'' - Hundreds of Christian families from Baghdad are seeking refuge from a new al-Qaeda campaign against their community - 7th January



Articles: 2010

 * threatens to raise Lebanon tensions'' - In a country already at political boiling point, the leaking of embassy cables – many of which are related to Hizbollah – could still prove explosive - 13th December
 * paranoia unlikely to go down well in Iran'' - Never before have people in the autocratic Arab world been confronted with a treasure trove of official documents providing an unvarnished look at the conduct of policy - 30th November
 * 'as if' election lays ground for succession'' - 29th November
 * debate the UAE cannot ignore'' - 23rd November
 * of entrepreneurial hope'' - 9th November
 * affection erodes credibility'' - 18th October
 * yawns at hopes for new dawn'' - If images and words out of Washington are to be believed, the Middle East is on the brink of a new dawn, shepherded by a US administration that understands its problems and is determined to find the solutions - 4th September
 * must take responsibility as life after America looms'' - It seems of little use today to persist in blaming the US for the ills of Iraq - 20th August
 * new western quest: to woo Syria from Iran'' - As the US winds down in Iraq, it appears Syria and Iran are becoming rivals - 13th August
 * focuses on its backyard'' - As Turkey has expanded its influence in the Middle East, with an energetic foreign policy that has rattled western allies, analysts have been probing the perceived shift - 26th July
 * A trade to ply'' - As it moves to shake off its debt battering, the emirate sees its future in its traditional role as a commercial hub, not a property hotspot – though risks linger - 5th July (with Simeon Kerr)
 * curious case of UAE banks'' - The position of the country’s lenders regarding problem loans is worse than their figures relate, but these institutions are well capitalised and enjoy state protection - 5th July
 * Tehran remains fearful of protest'' - It is not inconceivable that, in spite of the setbacks, the Green Movement of Mir-Hossein Moussavi, the reformist leader, can be reinvigorated. But it is likely that in its next wave it will become more radicalised - 21st June
 * lessons of Turkey’s role'' - The country’s prime minister is being lauded in the Arab world for challenging Israel, but heed should be paid to why he is able to take such a strong stance - 15th June
 * can no longer ignore Gaza'' - Israel’s raid on the Turkish-led aid flotilla has highlighted the fact that the blockade of the Palestinian enclave has helped Hamas, its ruling Islamist group, tighten its grip - 7th June
 * a dark past behind them'' - Its time the new Iraqi government took a more mature attitude towards Kuwait – and it would deserve to be met with a generous response - 31st May



Articles: 2009

 * The enemy within'' - Iran: Protesters angered by summer’s disputed election are increasingly turning on the regime itself,posing a threat to the stability of an already divided leadership - 12th December
 * in Dubai's tale of two cities'' - 8th December
 * in its tracks'' - Dubai: As a city with traits of a private equity firm faces scaling back its hallmark brash development, tensions exist – and not only with investors - 2nd December
 * catches up with the Gulf’s model global city'' - With Dubai’s decision-making wrapped up in palace intrigue, the rest of the world is left to operate on rumours rather than facts - 28th November
 * Saudi Arabia should rethink its Yemen strategy'' - Governments far beyond Yemen’s borders should also be alarmed at the deteriorating security in a country that has long been a breeding ground for the religious extremists of al-Qaeda - 20th November
 * hits out from the shadows'' - Mahmoud Abbas’s decision not to contest the next Palestinian presidential election is a reflection of how quickly and dramatically the hopes for peace that accompanied the election, a year ago, of US president Barack Obama have been extinguished - 10th November
 * Yemen slides towards the brink of failure'' - Anti-government violence in the north, a secession movement in the south and fugitive jihadis throughout the country, allied to failing oil production, mean the southern Gulf state is destabilising quickly - 29th September
 * nuclear options'' - Uranium enrichment: World powers are stepping up efforts to manage a dangerous moment as Iran moves ever closer to developing a bomb - 23rd September (with Daniel Dombey and James Blitz)
 * wins engagement by obscuring intention'' - It was not what the optimists might have hoped for - Iran’s much-anticipated five-page proposal to the international community, delivered last week, made no mention of its controversial nuclear programme and referred in the most general terms to the danger of nuclear proliferation - 15th September
 * in Tripoli'' - Libya: As he celebrates 40 years in power, Muammer Gaddafi has reason to feel more secure than ever – unlike many in the country, both foreign investors and citizens - 2nd September (with Heba Saleh)
 * west struggles with Iran’s game'' - The election disaster has made the western ability to respond to Tehran’s moves trickier. Inaction is dangerous because it could encourage Israel to launch a military adventure. Rushing to impose new sanctions, particularly on petrol imports, is also risky - 25th August
 * triggers a touch of hypocrisy'' - Western countries tend to ignore rigged elections in the Arab world that disadvantage Islamist parties, whereas Iran’s reformist opposition drew unqualified support - 7th July (See: Iran: summary)
 * time for Ahmadi-Nejad to relax'' - So it’s over. At least that is what the Iranian regime has decreed. The legal path to reviewing the June 12 presidential election result, which goes through the hardline Guardian Council, has been firmly shut - 1st July
 * at a turning point'' - With authorities now determined to face down protesters over the disputed election, the stand-off is entering a potentially dangerous phase - 20th June (with Najmeh Bozorgmehr and Anna Fifield)
 * cry for normality'' - The results of the election were a reaction to the fact that Lebanon and Hizbollah have become so inexorably intertwined - 16th June
 * time to deal'' - Middle East: With Lebanon electing a pro-western coalition and Iran’s moderates gaining ground, peacemaking efforts by Barack Obama could be bearing fruit – but much more will be needed - 11th June
 * must respect the choice of Lebanon’s voters'' - At a time when Obama is on a mission to improve America’s battered image in the Muslim world it would be a mistake to punish voters for their choice. Indeed, if Hizbollah wins it will be forced to confront its own contradictions - 29th May
 * facade of unity exposed'' - The campaign for the parliamentary elections in June has revealed a country still divided by fear and hatred despite the Doha accord designed to avert civil war - 26th May
 * opens door of hope on peace'' - The US president has transformed expectations about Palestinian-Israeli relations from despair to anticipation, but the obstacles ahead should not be underestimated - 19th May
 * ready to end game of pretence'' - US leaders rarely use their leverage to deliver Middle East peace. For the current president’s vision to materialise, he will need a few blunt words with Benjamin Netanyahu - 15th May
 * errs again over swine flu'' - The government’s decision to kill every pig in the country borders on the ridiculous and the country even lacks the resources to implement the policy - 12th May
 * assured Assad'' - Syria: As the Obama administration’s new Middle East policy offers it a way out of isolation, Damascus is in danger of a miscalculation that could cost it political influence - 11th May (with Anna Fifield)
 * troubles stir in Baghdad'' - As Iraq sells itself to the world more vigorously violence has been surging, and reviving some of the old fears that many had assumed were buried - 1st May
 * states have a stake in Iran’s talks'' - Arab states will have to come to terms with the prospect of a US-Iranian rapprochement. It would deliver greater stability for the region. Tehran will not stop being a regional power. But it might be persuaded to use its influence more co-operatively - 21st April
 * outcast?'' - Hostility towards a two-state solution with the Palestinians not only puts Israel at odds with Washington but may also turn it into a diplomatic pariah - 13th April (with Tobias Buck)
 * rule out Dubai comeback'' - Even the most cynical residents admit Dubai is down but not out and that it will eventually make a comeback as a less exuberant and, above all, more liveable place - 8th April
 * PA struggles for relevance'' - Without radical change within Fatah – and without American pressure on the new Israeli government – the Palestinian Authority will be in perpetual decline - 8th April
 * finance must resolve inner tensions'' - The prohibition on dealing in interest has saved the sector from many of the travails of western banks, but a closer look reveals that its outlook is not entirely rosy - 30th March
 * I’ve Been Silent About'' - A memoir about growing up in a turbulent Iran offers both a touching portrait of childhood and a political statement on the Islamic republic’s modern history - 24th March
 * will outnumber winners in Israel’s election'' - Whether Israel is governed by a coalition led by Kadima or Likud, the public’s shift to the right ensures there are losers abroad - 17th February
 * for Tehran'' - Iran: the arrival of a US administration more willing to talk presents the Islamic Republic with an opportunity as it enters its fourth decade – but one it may miss - 13th February (with Najmeh Bozorgmehr)
 * has to deal with Iranian sense of grievance'' - Iran touts a long list of injustices suffered, without countenancing the fear and instability it has caused, and this will hamper discussions with America - 10th February
 * squabbling need not paralyse region'' - No show of unity among Arab leaders could erase the farce that the public had watched for three weeks as Israel pounded Gaza - 27th January
 * asunder'' - Israel and the Palestinians: After the Gaza onslaught, a two-state solution is further off than ever but, for all its problems, it remains the only route to lasting coexistence - 21st January (with Tobias Buck)
 * should tell Israel to face facts'' - For a year the Palestinian Authority has negotiated with Israel on a peace settlement, knowing nothing would come of it - 20th January
 * PR fails to impress away from home'' - When a power goes to war against a weaker enemy, it can lose the public relations battle - 13th January
 * Cairo’s balancing act over Gaza - So feeble has Egypt looked as the war in Gaza has unfolded that it has become the second villain in the crisis - 5th January (see: 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict)



Articles: 2008

 * Why Israel’s military option is likely to backfire - Israel chose its timing carefully when it decided to try to re-establish its power of deterrence - 29th December 2008
 * Arab states can now help Iraq step towards the future - Arab states may have felt helpless during the past few years, but they too now have a chance to help shape the country’s future - 22nd December 2008
 * The tricky road to US dialogue with Tehran - The Obama administration will have to tread carefully as domestic politics threaten to unsettle negotiators in Iran - 15th December 2008
 * reforming role'' - The fact Arab first ladies are more visible is not to be dismissed as a detail; they are advancing the cause of women - 8th December 2008
 * plan needs PR backing'' - The Palestinian Authority has revived the peace initiative, but could benefit from support by its neighbours - 1st December 2008
 * faces grim realities'' - When Dubai set up a committee to study the impact of the financial crisis on the emirate, everyone took notice - 24th November 2008
 * Obama offers new approach to Arab democracy - The new president offers a different vision of American foreign policy, one that the Middle East can engage with - 10th November 2008
 * Khatami dilemma echoes Iran’s place at a crossroads - The former president of Iran has an opportunity to unite reformists and send Iran down a less confrontational path. Some even say it is his duty - 3rd November 2008
 * Between Iraq’s needs and dreams - Hesitation over the Status of Forces Agreement with the US should not come as a surprise. Indecisiveness has been characteristic of the Iraqi administration, and this decision is the most important the government – and the Shia bloc leading it – will take - 27th October 2008
 * Syria’s second chance - Eight years after Bashar al-Assad took over upon the death of his father Hafez, Damascus is still struggling to decide on which road it will travel, politically and economically - 27th October 2008
 * Arabs should curb hopes for US president - The Arab world should look forward to an Obama presidency because it would make for a superpower more at ease with itself, less aggressive and less driven by ideological dreams - 20th October 2008
 * clerics imperil economy'' - Unless the clerical establishment is confronted, it is reforms and economic transformation that will be threatened - 6th October 2008
 * Sovereign wealth funds do not have all the answers - Sovereign wealth funds have been as confused as everyone else about the extent and repercussions of the Wall Street crisis - 29th September 2008
 * No oasis in financial storm - The implications of the bail-out of Wall Street on the rest of the world are uncertain and Gulf finance officials and central bank governors should not be so sanguine - 22nd September 2008
 * With friends like these, the US hardly needs enemies - The Bush team wants to undermine the image of al-Qaeda – but America’s own reputation is a far more pressing concern - 15th September 2008
 * Abu Dhabi must work on its away game - The Manchester City takeover came out of the blue – and the reaction back home was anything but pleased - 8th September 2008
 * Georgia crisis plays to Iran’s advantage – for now - The situation in Europe fits Iran’s delaying strategy perfectly – but the nuclear dispute is unlikely to go away - 1st September 2008
 * Arabs v Israel: an Olympic sport? - It is difficult not to see the region’s low medal count as part of a wider failure to nurture youth and create role models - 25th August 2008
 * Why Arab states must embrace Iraq - Last week, King Abdullah of Jordan became the first Arab head of state to travel to Baghdad since the 2003 war. From there, he urged his fellow leaders to re-engage with Iraq - 18th August 2008
 * High time UAE applied itself to education - Talent. Knowledge. Skills. These are the buzzwords in the United Arab Emirates. They are on the lips of every official you meet - 21st July 2008
 * The Mediterranean’s new union - Nicolas Sarkozy launched the Union for the Mediterranean at the weekend with the pomp and drama that befits his grand vision of an era of co-operation between the European Union and countries on the other side of the Mediterranean - 14th July 2008
 * ‘Arab centre’ needs introspection - High-ranking Arab officials rarely record their experience in office. For one thing, governments are like revolving doors, with many of the same faces moving from one portfolio to the other. As for leaders, well, most of them stay on for life, and so few have the chance or the time to write their memoirs - 7th July 2008



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