BERKELEY, California, Feb 26 (IPS) – The appointment of Dennis Ross as a special advisor to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has found a cool reaction in Tehran and some U.S. policy circles.

“The appointment of Ross is an apparent contradiction with [President Barack] Obama’s announced policy to bring change in United States foreign policy,” said Iran’s State Radio on Wednesday, accusing Ross of being in league with Israel. Announcing the long-anticipated appointment, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said that Ross would offer “strategic advice” and perspective on the region, coordinate new policy approaches and take part in “inter-agency activities.” Continue reading POLITICS: Obama’s New Iran Envoy Met With Scepticism →

It’s fair to say that Farid Zakaria, is an Eastern version of Thomas Friedman. He writes about complicated issues eloquently and also gives a big picture about the issues we might face on a daily bases. His recent article in the latest issue of NewsWeek Weekly. While “Islamic Fascism” was one of the most used lines in the U.S. presidential campaign last year, he introduces a new perspective of how this issue should be framed; to understand it as a whole and avoid stereotyping and generalization. (Read the full story here..):

“The veil is not the same as the suicide belt. We can better pursue our values if we recognize the local and cultural context, and appreciate that people want to find their own balance between freedom and order, liberty and license. In the end, time is on our side. Bin Ladenism has already lost ground in almost every Muslim country. Radical Islam will follow the same path. Wherever it is tried—in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in parts of Nigeria and Pakistan—people weary of its charms very quickly. The truth is that all Islamists, violent or not, lack answers to the problems of the modern world. They do not have a world view that can satisfy the aspirations of modern men and women. We do. That’s the most powerful weapon of all.”

(HP-Feb 11, 2009)-President Barack Obama said in his inauguration speech that “America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.” But the question remains; what are the characteristics of this new leadership and how will it take itself out of the ditches inherited from his successor in post George Bush era? Continue reading Obama Is Ready To Lead, But How? →