- Social:
journalist and author
Author of A Rage for Order: the Middle East in Turmoil from Tahrir Square to ISIS; former Beirut Bureau Chief for the New York Times
PROFILE
Robert Worth
Guest
FROM Robert Worth
To the Point
Does the "Arab Spring" Have a Future After All? It's been five years since popular uprisings toppled dictators in Egypt and other Arab countries. Except in Tunisia, Democracy has not taken hold. Egypt's new military regime may be worse than the old one; Libya is in chaos; millions of Syrians are fleeing civil war. In 2011, diverse groups were able to unify after years of repression, only to be divided again by their different interests and the need for order. But revolutions take time. We talk with authors of two new books saying it's premature to declare that the "Arab Spring" was a failure.
To the Point
Does the "Arab Spring" Have a Future After All? It's been five years since popular uprisings toppled dictators in Egypt and other Arab countries. Except in Tunisia, Democracy has not taken hold. Egypt's new military regime may be worse than the old one; Libya is in chaos; millions of Syrians are fleeing civil war. In 2011, diverse groups were able to unify after years of repression, only to be divided again by their different interests and the need for order. But revolutions take time. We talk with authors of two new books saying it's premature to declare that the "Arab Spring" was a failure.
To the Point
What's the Next Surprise from al Qaeda? Intelligence agencies say that last September they may have discovered a dry run for the package bombs found Friday in the UK and Dubai. All the intercepted packages contained were books, papers, CD's and household items, and they were allowed to continue to their destinations. Both recent incidents involved shipments from Yemen bound for Chicago, and it's now presumed the bombs were designed to explode in the air. We hear more about the former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who tipped off Saudi intelligence, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and politics in Yemen. Is there any way to protect the multi-billion dollar air-cargo system that's a mainstay of the global economy?
Recommended
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
Left, Right & Center
The week that wouldn't quit Will next week get even weirder? (Special one-hour episode)
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
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?