Middle East

World News

Egyptian Activists: Our Religion Is None Of Your Business

8:17pm April 27, 2013

by Leila Fadel

Violence between Muslims and Christians in Egypt, which has only increased since the revolution, is prompting public debate about religious identity. To try to ease tension and de-emphasize differences, one group of Egyptians wants to remove religious labels from national ID cards.

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Does Syria's Alleged Use Of Chemical weapons 'Cross The Line?'

3:57pm April 27, 2013

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with Vali Nasr of Johns Hopkins University about allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own citizens, and whether this crosses a "red line" drawn by the Obama Administration.

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President Obama meets with the emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in the Oval Office on Tuesday. The emir is among a series of visiting Middle East leaders urging the U.S. to take a greater role in the Syrian conflict.

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U.S. Wary As Qatar Ramps Up Support Of Syrian Rebels

4:47pm April 26, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

The tiny Gulf nation of Qatar has been "punching above its weight" diplomatically in the region in recent years. Now, it's taking a prominent role in Syria, arming rebels there. The U.S. wants to see such aid go to moderates. Qatar has its own approach.

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White House Undecided On Action For Syria Crossing 'Red Line'

8:16pm April 25, 2013

by Mara Liasson

President Obama has said repeatedly that the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government against its own people was a red line, and crossing it would bring U.S. action. On Thursday, the administration said that the intelligence community "does assess with vary degrees of confidence" that the regime has used such weapons "on a small scale." Yet the administration also contends that these findings fall short of the red line.

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Sen. Corker Calls On U.S. To 'Step Up' Efforts In Syria

8:16pm April 25, 2013

Robert Siegel talks to Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, about the U.S. intelligence assessment regarding chemical weapons in Syria. Corker says there is not yet enough evidence to take military action against the Syrian government. He adds that the real challenge now is to keep the more extremist anti-Assad-regime rebels from having the upper hand.

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World News

Malala: How A Young Girl Became A World Symbol

2:28pm April 18, 2013

Fifteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai has become a symbol of hope for change in Pakistan and the world. Since her near-fatal shooting in 2012, her voice and reach has grown, as she speaks out against the Taliban's influence, and advocates for education for Pakistani youth.

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Photographer Tim Hetherington during an assignment for Vanity Fair Magazine at the Restrepo outpost.

Sebastian Junger: 'Which Way' To Turn After Hetherington's Death

11:53am April 18, 2013

In a new documentary premiering on HBO, the journalist explores the life of his friend, the war photographer Tim Hetherington. The two collaborated on the 2010 documentary Restrepo, and Junger was profoundly changed after Hetherington was killed by shrapnel in Libya in 2011.

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Is The United States A 'Dispensable Nation'?

2:04pm April 16, 2013

In his new book, The Dispensable Nation, former State Department adviser Vali Nasr explores the state of U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan and beyond. Nasr says the U.S. "is happy ... to play a less important role, to no longer be the stabilizer."

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Police In Dubai Add Lamborghini To The Force

9:07am April 15, 2013

The slick, green and white car costs $400,000 and goes more than 200 miles per hour. Police say about 15 percent of the speeding tickets go to motorists driving more than 130 mph.

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Razan Shalab Al-Sham, in bright blue, works for the Syrian Emergency Task Force. She helped provide uniforms for the new civil police force of Khirbet al-Joz in northern Syria.

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'It's Not Normal': Syrian War Transforms Lives

8:59pm April 09, 2013

by Deborah Amos

The war in Syria has torn families apart and driven millions out of the country, but it has also transformed some Syrians as they take on roles they never imagined. A 26-year-old woman from Homs has put her dream of teaching English literature on hold as she works with the opposition.

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