Freelance journalist
Freelance journalist and contributing Editor to the Middle East Report; author of Dispatches from Palestine: The Rise and Fall of the Oslo Peace Process; former reporter for Al-Ahram, an English-language weekly newspaper based in Cairo, Egypt, and former Jerusalem Bureau Chief for the Economist
Pakistan Steps Up the Fight against the Taliban Suicide bombers set off a massive blast in Peshawar yesterday, killing 18 people. Was it a response to the Pakistani military's recent offensive of a Taliban stronghold in the Swat Valley? What will become of the two million civilian refugees who have fled the fighting? Could this humanitarian crisis been averted? Is stepped up military action a way to get more US aid? How is Pakistani public opinion affecting the fight against the Taliban? How does President Obama's foreign policy in the region differ from that of George Bush? How do tensions with Afghanistan and India affect Islamabad's focus on the Taliban?
Pakistan Steps Up the Fight against the Taliban Suicide bombers set off a massive blast in Peshawar yesterday, killing 18 people. Was it a response to the Pakistani military's recent offensive of a Taliban stronghold in the Swat Valley? What will become of the two million civilian refugees who have fled the fighting? Could this humanitarian crisis been averted? Is stepped up military action a way to get more US aid? How is Pakistani public opinion affecting the fight against the Taliban? How does President Obama's foreign policy in the region differ from that of George Bush? How do tensions with Afghanistan and India affect Islamabad's focus on the Taliban?
Pakistan's President Visits the UN An unmanned American drone has crashed in Pakistan, where anger rages over this weekend's terrorist bombing and the Army is battling militants. This weekend's massive explosion that killed 53 people at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel has increased fears of terrorism. President Asif Ali Zardari is known to believe that US intervention is making things worse. Yesterday, he met with President Bush in New York. We hear from the UN and from Islamabad.
US Airstrike Kills Pakistani Soldiers in Afghan Border Region American military and intelligence officials claim that al Qaeda is stronger now in Pakistan than at any time since the invasion of neighboring Afghanistan just after September 11. But tensions between the US the new Pakistani government have also increased. The Pentagon has confirmed an US air strike today in northwestern Pakistan, one that country's military calls a "cowardly attack" that killed 11 of its soldiers. Yesterday, the chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, called for "patience." Graham Usher is a freelance journalist in Pakistan.
Pakistanis Angry over Timing of US Visit The US has increased attacks by Predator drones against al Qaeda targets in western Pakistan. Meantime, two high-level American diplomats are in the country. Their visit has led to flag burnings in three cities and newspaper editorials accusing the US officials of "indecent haste" and "meddling." Graham Usher is a freelance journalist based in Pakistan.
Pakistan, Afghanistan and America's War on Terror More bad news today for President Pervez Musharraf whose party took a big hit in Pakistan's parliamentary elections. The two main opposition parties have agreed on a "common agenda" which could mean negotiations with militant forces, including the Taliban. Whatever else it could mean, it will not include anyone from the President's former governing coalition. Can Musharraf survive? How will Pakistan shape events in neighboring Afghanistan, where NATO forces already are hard pressed? Should the US stay deeply involved or pull back to make way for a regional, non-military reconciliation?
Election Returns Pakistan from Military to Civilian Rule In parliamentary elections, voters have repudiated President Pervez Musharraf by giving two opposition parties control of Pakistan's National Assembly. Musharraf told visiting US Senators today he accepts his party's resounding defeat in today's elections. Despite fears of vote-rigging and violence, international observers say the success of two opposition parties accurately reflects the will of the voters. Can Musharraf, an American ally, hold on to his job? What about Islamic extremists, the war on terror and control of nuclear weapons? We hear about the future of that country and relations with the US.
Has US Lost Influence over the Crisis in Pakistan? Pakistan has long presented a vexing policy conundrum for the US. Its nuclear-weapons lab leaked technology to Iran and North Korea and al Qaeda's leaders have taken refuge in its tribal lands. Washington played down those problems as long as it had a stable alliance with Islamabad. But since President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule two weeks ago, the US has struggled to stabilize this key ally in the war on terror, urging a return to civilian rule while risking instability that could aid terrorists. Musharraf has remained defiant in his grip on power despite a visit by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who also met with opposition politicians, in a search for political alternatives. With whom did he speak and, at this point, can the US really help them? Can the US cut aid without pushing Pakistan to the brink of chaos?
Has US Lost Influence over the Crisis in Pakistan? Pakistan has long presented a vexing policy conundrum for the US. Its nuclear-weapons lab leaked technology to Iran and North Korea and al Qaeda's leaders have taken refuge in its tribal lands. Washington played down those problems as long as it had a stable alliance with Islamabad. But since President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule two weeks ago, the US has struggled to stabilize this key ally in the war on terror, urging a return to civilian rule while risking instability that could aid terrorists. Musharraf has remained defiant in his grip on power despite a visit by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who also met with opposition politicians, in a search for political alternatives. With whom did he speak and, at this point, can the US really help them? Can the US cut aid without pushing Pakistan to the brink of chaos?
Pakistani Police Stop Demonstration In Pakistan today, thousands of police blanketed the streets of Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi, where opposition leader Benazir Bhutto had called for a mass demonstration against military rule. The forces of President Musharraf kept Bhutto inside her residence and used batons and tear gas on people who tried to assemble. Late in the day, Bhutto was allowed out of her house for a speech broadcast on official TV. Graham Usher is a freelance journalist, based in Pakistan.
Benazir Bhutto Arrives Home in Karachi after Eight Years Hundreds of thousands of people packed the streets of Karachi today as Benazir Bhutto flew home after eight years in exile. As Pakistan's Prime Minister, she was accused of corruption, and she left the country soon after General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a military coup. Bhutto's reception shows that she still has a base of popular support. But assassination threats and the presence of 20,000 troops surrounding her motorcade are clear indications that she has her enemies, too. Freelance reporter Graham Usher considers what her return could mean for domestic politics and relations with the US.
Tony Blair, Special Envoy to the Middle East? Today's New York Times reports that President Bush and Secretary Rice want Tony Blair to become special envoy to the Middle East when he steps down next week as Prime Minister of Britain . He would represent the so-called " Quartet " -- the US, UN, European Union and Russia. Only Russia is said to be "grumbling" about the idea, but is not expected to block the appointment if Blair accepts. What about the countries of the Middle East itself? Graham Usher, former Palestine correspondent for the Economist, is contributing editor to Middle East Report .
Israel, the Palestinians and anti-Americanism in the Muslim World Last week UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the Israeli-Palestinian issue "carries a powerful symbolic and emotional charge... like no other conflict in the world." There was a sense of optimism, when President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinians would form a "unity government" to negotiate the end of the economic and political blockade imposed by Israel and the western powers. But with Hamas and Fatah bitterly divided over recognizing Israel's right to exist, there may be no "unity government" with which to negotiate. We update the Palestinians' internal struggles and look at the mood in Israel after the bombing of Lebanon. We also get some history of the Israeli-Palestinian issue and why it's the source of so much anti-Americanism around the world.
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?
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?
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?