The treason of the intellectuals Clinton and Milosevic, Saddam Hussein and Ehud Barak: Edward Said fails to see the difference

The function of outsiders In the first part of a series of articles, Abdelwahab Elmessiri examines the work society will not do

Kosovo's challenge Mohamed Sid-Ahmed believes Arab negotiators face new challenges in the light of the Kosovo crisis The Middle East's last reckoning Very soon, the region will witness a flurry of diplomatic, and probably military, activity, writes Hassan Nafaa. Matters previously deemed insoluble will be settled at last Close up By Salama Ahmed Salama Rumours of freedom I happened to be in Jordan as the kingdom was celebrating its fifty-third anniversary, revering the Hashemite kingdom and commemorating its independence from foreign rule. In the history of nations, the beginning of any new epoch is a time of expectations. Hopes of better times, greater development and thoroughgoing reform run high. Such expectations fill the air in Jordan, where it is widely anticipated that political and constitutional reforms will redress many of the setbacks of the past five years. --read on--

Naguib Mahfouz The president's voyage President Mubarak's forthcoming trip to the US comes at an extremely critical time: the situation in this region, after several years of tension and stagnation, is on the threshold of a new era following the election of Ehud Barak and the formation of a new government in Israel. --read on--

Soapbox
The Barak track
Mohamed Sobeih

This week: Nawaz Sherif