Profile:
Full name: Roula Khalaf
Area of interest: Middle East politics and business
Journals/Organisation: Financial Times
Email: roula.khalaf@ft.com
Personal website:
Website: http://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/roula-khalaf
Blog:
Representation:
Networks: https://twitter.com/#!/khalafroula
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Biography:
About:
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)
Other roles/Main role:
Other activities:
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Broadcast media:
Video: appears regularly on national and international TV & radio
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Books & Debate:
Latest work:
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Financial Times:
Column name:
Remit/Info: Middle East politics and business
Section:
Role: Associate editor and Middle East editor
Pen-name:
Email: roula.khalaf@ft.com
Website: FT.com / Roula Khalaf
Commissioning editor:
Day published:
Regularity: weekly
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Articles: 2012
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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
- Page turns on Gaddafi - End of another Arab regime will send a chilling message to autocratic rulers - 23rd August
- Arab 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
- West fails to answer Syrian conundrum - Economic pressures could be decisive - 6th August
- Hizbollah’s 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
- Eight 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
- Global Insight: Democratic transitions suffer birth pangs - Tensions are growing in Egypt and Tunisia - 27th July
- Bahrain: 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
- Arab 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
- Sectarian 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
- Doubts 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
- Doubts 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
- Syria’s smoke and mirrors at new stage - Mystery over apparent resignation of ambassador to Paris - 9th June
- Rulers’ fate hangs on militaries - Nature of army that ultimately decides outcome - 27th May
- Israel 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
- Syrian 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
- West risks sending wrong signal on Assad - Leniency towards Syrian president could backfire - 9th May
- Tunisia: 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
- Syrian crackdown radicalises protesters - Slogans emphasise national unity over sectarianism - 13th April
- Gulf 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
- Region’s 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
- Qatar set to reap benefits from Libya mission - But it will face Arab opprobrium if the intervention turns sour - 31st March
- Drawn-out campaign risks damping down Arab spring - Gaddafi will draw western forces into a quagmire by using human shields - 21st March
- Shadow of Iraq could leave Libya rebels in dark - If opposition is crushed, the west could be blamed - 17th March Libya uprising: In depth
- Only outside action can stop Gaddafi - Rebel-held Zawiya, the town closest to Tripoli, is critical to the fight - 14th March
- Analysis: 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
- Only outside action can stop Gaddafi - Rebel-held Zawiya, the town closest to Tripoli, is critical to the fight - 11th March
- Autocratic leaders miss the point - Arabs are clamouring for political rights, not just social benefits - 2nd March
- Person in the News: the Arab youth - The secular youth have been making history in the street - 26th February
- West’s 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
- Repression sharpens hunger for change - Every new dawn threatens remaining autocratic rulers - 19th February
- Global 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
- The sabotaging of Iran - A clandestine war is being waged on the country’s nuclear programme. So how will it end? - 12th February
- The people discover their power - Tahrir Square uprising liberated the country - 11th February
- The trust gap impedes Egypt’s move to democracy - Protesters need to believe government will respond to their aspirations - 9th February
- West 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
- At 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
- Three 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
- Only certainty is army will play dominant role - Mr Mubarak had deliberately marginalised potential rivals and credible successors and debilitated opposition parties - 31st January
- Muslim 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
- Egypt 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
- Man in the News: Hosni Mubarak - Egypt’s autocratic, 82-year-old leader is facing the fiercest challenge of his 30-year rule - 29th January
- Tunisia 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)
- Tunisia’s ‘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)
- How 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
- Arab leaders should watch TV - Regimes ruling by fear loses balance once the wall of fear is broken - 15th January
- Riots 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
- Protests 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
- Religious 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
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Articles: 2010
- WikiLeaks 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
- Arab 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
- Egypt's 'as if' election lays ground for succession - 29th November
- The debate the UAE cannot ignore - 23rd November
- Injection of entrepreneurial hope - 9th November
- False affection erodes credibility - 18th October
- Mideast 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
- Iraq 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
- The 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
- Turkey 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
- Dubai: 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)
- The 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
- Defiant 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
- The 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
- World 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
- Putting 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
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Articles: 2009
- Iran: 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
- Cliffhanger in Dubai's tale of two cities - 8th December
- Stopped 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
- Reality 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
- Why 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
- Abbas 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
- Forgotten 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
- The 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)
- Iran 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
- Triumphal 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)
- The 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
- Iran 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)
- No 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
- Iran: 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)
- Lebanon’s 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
- A 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
- Obama 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
- Lebanon’s 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
- Obama 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
- Obama 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
- Egypt 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
- An 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)
- Old 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
- Arab 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
- Borderline 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)
- Don’t 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
- The 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
- Islamic 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
- Things 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
- Losers 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
- Tests 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)
- US 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
- Arab 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
- Torn 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)
- Obama 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
- Israel’s 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)
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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
- Fashion’s 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
- Peace plan needs PR backing - The Palestinian Authority has revived the peace initiative, but could benefit from support by its neighbours - 1st December 2008
- Dubai 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
- Saudi 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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