Besieged and alone
Arafat has rarely been as isolated as he finds himself 12 days after the suicide attacks inside Israel, writes Graham Usher from Jerusalem

Back again
US bombers were back in action in the Tora Bora mountain cave complex in eastern Afghanistan yesterday after besieged Al-Qa'eda forces failed to meet a surrender-or-die deadline and put forward conditions to lay down arms.. --read on--

Egypt

Sharon spells chaos
Egypt's good offices were called upon this week to restore calm between the Palestinians and Israelis, but the attempt left Cairo and the Arabs between a rock and a hard place. Nevine Khalil and Soha Abdelaty report

Weapons of the weak
A wave of attacks by Hamas in which 25 Israelis were killed has revived the controversy among Muslim scholars about the permissibility of such acts. Rasha Saad reports

Region

Writing off Arafat?
If Arafat does go down, he will take a lot with him, writes David Hirst, and the alternative will not be to Israel's liking

First shot in phase II?
An American Muslim charity, the Holy Land Foundation, is the latest casualty of the US campaign against terrorism. But the move may well have been prompted by Israeli pressure on the US, as Anayat Durrani reports from Washington

Opinion

WAR COVERAGE

INTIFADA IN FOCUS

War

Rules of engagement
A Libyan initiative to save the families of "Arab Afghans" was ignored by the United States, increasing fears that thousands of pro- Taliban fighters will be massacred, reports Khaled Dawoud

Stability at long last?
The deal for an interim administration in Kabul, thrashed out in Bonn, resulted in a precarious balancing act between Afghanistan's many factions. Iffat Malik asks whether the deal will work

Frost on the White Mountain
US forces, facing not just an elusive enemy but also the certainty of a harsh winter, are still soliciting the help of a host of allies. Galal Nassar finds out what France, Turkey, and Israel have to offer

The end, or the beginning?
Germany and Japan will be the major donors to Afghanistan under the terms of the Berlin settlement. But he who pays the piper does not always call the tune, as Gamal Nkrumah writes

Dangerous by definition
The quest for basic information on thousands of detained Arabs in the US continues. Amira Howeidy tries to see through the fog

Counting chickens
Legions of aid and humanitarian workers are readying for the task of rebuilding Afghanistan. Nyier Abdou wonders if they are jumping the gun

MORE >>>>>>>>>>>

The bottom line
It's highly sophisticated, but is it truly free? As the mainstream US media continues to beat the drums of America's "war on terror" Fatemah Farag investigates the implications for press freedom and, opposite, finds islands of dissent

A hard look in the mirror
The West urges Muslims to engage in serious introspection. But Islamic thinkers speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly say soul-searching should happen on both sides. Omayma Abdel-Latif reports

Economy

Enjoying bad news
The sudden departure of Ismail Osman from the Arab Contractors company signals a turning point for the region's largest construction conglomerate. Aziza Sami spoke to the company's former CEO about the reasons for the change, and his vision for the company's future

Special

Gaber Asfour
Ibrahim Aslan
Mohamed Berrada
Mohamed El-Bosati
Mustafa Darwish
Soliman Fayyad
Sonallah Ibrahim
Samia Mehrez
Edward Said
Nehad Selaiha
Bahaa Taher

on Mahfouz at 90

Living

Sports

Close to glory
Ahli are on the verge of winning the African Champions League for a third time. Nasha Abdel-Tawab reports on the possible hat-trick

Travel