Shiraz Maher 
Clinton’s Cairo visit reveals limits of US influence
Hillary Clinton is holding talks in Israel today after a turbulent weekend in Egypt, ending a diplomatically fraught trip with little obvious benefit. Officially, Clinton was there to open the… Continue reading
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Romney’s risky campaign focus
There’s a belief among the strategists surrounding Mitt Romney that his campaign should focus almost exclusively on the state of America’s economy. It’s an obvious battleground with unemployment figures hovering… Continue reading
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Resolving the conflict in Syria is in Britain’s national interest
There was an air of inevitability about yesterday’s massacre in the Syrian village of Tremseh which left 200 civilians dead. Observers of the Syrian uprising could foretell this grim event… Continue reading
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Pakistan and the Higgs Boson
Have you heard about Pakistan’s contribution to last week’s discovery of the Higgs Boson? No, thought not. Remarkably, the reason you probably won’t have is because Pakistan doesn’t want you… Continue reading
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Has the Arab Spring given way to an Islamist Winter?
The obituary of the Arab Spring has already been written by many commentators who see political Islamists as the only winners of unrest in the Middle East. The Arab Spring,… Continue reading
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‘Unprecedented’ sanctions could still be powerless
Are sanctions among the most pointless tools in contemporary diplomacy? That certainly seems to be the case in Syria where sanctions have been in place against the Assad regime ever… Continue reading
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Prevent strategy still needs political will
West Midlands Police have just announced seven arrests as part of an investigation into alleged terrorist activity. This follows the detention of six individuals on similar charges across London yesterday.… Continue reading
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The struggle to deal with foreign terror suspects
Abu Qatada, the Islamist cleric once branded ‘Osama bin Laden’s ambassador to Europe’, has dominated headlines in recent months as the government struggles to return him to Jordan. Theresa May… Continue reading
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Plus ça change in Cairo
Don’t expect Cairo to become Kabul now that the Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate, Mohammed Mursi, has been sworn into power earlier today. There are real fears, of course, about the… Continue reading
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