Associate Professor of Government, American University
Associate Professor of Government at American University and Co-Director/Co-Founder of its program in Middle East Studies
PROFILE
Diane Singerman
Guest
FROM Diane Singerman
To the Point
Rebellion by the Young and the Unemployed Again and again, Moammar Gadhafi has blamed the violence in Libya on young people. His claim that they're taking "hallucinogens" supplied by Osama bin Laden may not be credible, but there's no doubt that Libya's youth are in the forefront of protest against his corrupt, tyrannical rule. A high proportion of young people and widespread unemployment have set the stage for a perfect storm in the Middle East and North Africa. The Internet and Al Jazeera have opened the young to the rest of the world and stoked their eagerness and courage to demand major change. But if they succeed, what happens next? Will the newly empowered inherit stagnant economies that still deny opportunity and frustrate ambition? What's being done to prevent crushed expectations by encouraging entrepreneurship, creating jobs and training a 21st Century workforce?
Recommended
To the Point
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?