by Amir Taheri | Aug 24, 2012 | Opinion
Throughout much of Ramadan, the Tehran media – controlled by “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei – conducted a campaign of vilification against former President Muhammad Khatami. This is not the first time that Khamenei unleashed his anger against Khatami. The former...
by Amir Taheri | Aug 19, 2012 | Book Reviews, Interviews
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—For the past half a century at least, Arab poetry has found its principal abodes in Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon. Anyone interested in contemporary Arab poetry would know the names of at least one poet from one of those three nations. Now, however,...
by Amir Taheri | Aug 17, 2012 | Opinion
What do politicians do when they cannot do much? Well, it depends on time and place. However, regardless of time and place, most political lame ducks try to snatch a bit of relevance from the teeth of ridicule by playing with words. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, remember him?,...
by Amir Taheri | Aug 10, 2012 | Opinion
In politics, what is not necessary is imprudent. This is the lesson that Russian President Vladimir Putin would do well to ponder when he reviews his handling of the Syrian crisis. Rightly or wrongly, there is international consensus that Russia has played a negative...
by Amir Taheri | Aug 3, 2012 | Opinion
As a seaside resort, with its Soviet-style hotels and drab canteens, Beidaihe, near Beijing, is nothing to write home about. And, yet, it is here that China’s Communist ruling elite gather every five years to discuss strategy and choose the next leadership. This...
