Building independence
The Palestinians have kept all their options open. Ibrahim Nafie explains why

The worst catastrophes imaginable
Samir Amin examines Washington's goals, and maps out the path Europe must fray

Back to the end of history
Mohamed Sid-Ahmed argues that the military doctrine developed by NATO at its summit in Washington last week reflects a full endorsement of Fukuyama's theory

In a state of suspension
The deadline has come and gone: Gamil Mattar wonders whatever happened to 4 May

Close up
By Salama Ahmed Salama
Home of the brave
The battle raging today in the wings of the US State Department is not about the war in the Balkans, the gross errors committed by NATO, or the deadly silence shrouding the Middle East peace process --read on--

Naguib Mahfouz Smoke In this age of health conscious living, even mentioning cigarettes is taboo. I only smoke three cigarettes a day, but my history as a smoker is a long one. --read on--

Soapbox
Steps toward statehood
Abdel-Gawwad Saleh

This week: The Egyptian worker