In the Lion's Den : An Eyewitness Account of Washington's Battle with Syria

A key player and an unrelenting obstacle in the Middle East peace process, Syria has long been a thorn in Washington's side when it comes to forging strategic alliances with powers in the region. But only after the events of 9/11 and Damascus's staunch opposition to the War in Iraq did the U.S. government begin a campaign to pressure President Bashar al-Asad's regime to change its policies and bring Syria into the Western political orbit. Author Andrew Tabler was both a witness to and participant in the events of this covert conflict. No other Western journalists or academics were based in Damascus during this entire period, and as co-founder of what was then Syria's only English-language publication, Tabler was not only watched and censored, but courted by the Syrian government in an attempt to influence his stories to the international community. He gained unique access to the upper echelons of power like no other journalist before him, even accompanying the Syrian president on a state visit to China. In the Lion's Den provides a rare glimpse into the machinations of one of the world's most baffling political systems. The book vividly captures Tabler's behind-the-scenes experiences as well as the story of Syria itself post-9/11 and Washington's attempts to craft a "New Middle East." Tabler's astute political analysis of the goings-on around him is seamlessly interwoven with a devastating critique of U.S. foreign policy. He examines the effects of the the Bush adminstration's strategy, asking what went wrong, what went right, and where Washington needs to go from here to deal with this volatile Middle Eastern country. Sitting at the center of the war-torn Middle East, Lebanon seems eternally on the brink of crisis. But what is the country all about? Why has this tiny, fertile Mediterranean country--smaller than the state of Connecticut--become a world symbol of violence and chaos, able to impact the superpowers? And how have the Lebanese been able to thrive as a society and culture in the midst of such strife? In Spirit of the UnderstandingBeirut and the People of Lebanon veteran journalist Tim Llewellyn looks to the people themselves for the answers. Wandering the countryside, the towns, and the streets of Beirut, where he lived during the country's civil war, he seeks out the essence of this diverse, volatile, fascinating land where many trace their ancestry to the ancient Phoenicians. The Druze, the Maronites, the Shia, Sunnis, Armenians, AlawitesLlewellyn encounters them all, talking with footsoldiers, priests, refugees, warlords, and gangsters to evoke the cacophony of narratives, cultures, and memories that resound throughout the country, Combining oral history, investigation, and personal observations, Llewellyn creates a living portrait of a people and celebrates the resilience, resourcefulness, and spirit that unite the Lebanese from the Hezbollah heartlands to Beirut's designer stores. Spirit of the Phoenix provides an introduction to the country's fractious politics and an unforgettable examination of an irrepressible people able to rise again and again from the ashes but never able to escape their warring neighbors and the violence of their region.

The news coming out of the Israel-Palestine conflict remains grim. The region remains a symbol of instability fueled by violence and hatred.

            In Our Way to Fight, journalist and author Michael Riordon offers a different perspective, exploring the conflict through local Israeli and Palestinian peace activists who break all stereotypes. Riordon travels to thousand-year-old olive groves, besieged villages, refugee camps, checkpoints, and barracks, talking with people on both sides of the Wall who fight violence and war through creative resistance. He uncovers the crises that stirred them to act, the risks they face in working for peace, and the small victories that sustain them.

            In the face of deepening conflict, Our Way to Fight is a portrait of courageous grassroots action that provides hope for a livable future and inspiration to peace activists in all nations.

For centuries the heroine of The Arabian Nights, Scheherazade, defined the Arab woman—until Joumana Haddad, an Arab woman herself, had had enough. Haddad angrily challenges prevalent notions of identity and womanhood in the Middle East in this intrepid exploration. While she finds the West's dominant portrayal of Arab women appalling, she finds the image projected by many Middle Eastern women to be infuriating as well. She discusses her intellectual development and the liberating effect of literature on her life, and in the process she transcends religious and cultural perspectives. Ultimately she argues that every woman has not only the right but the duty to ignore social, political, and sexual expectations and be true to herself. Fiery and candid, this is a provocative exploration of what it means to be an Arab woman today that will enlighten and inform a new international feminism. For Haddad, Scheherazade is dead, and the time has come for Arab women to tell their own stories. A key player in the Middle East and the site of violent protests in 2011, Syria has long been a thorn in Washington's side when it comes to forging peace or rolling back the influence of the Islamic republic of Iran. But only after the events of 9/11 and Damascus's staunch opposition to the war in Iraq did the U.S. government begin an unannounced campaign to pressure President Bashar al-Assad's regime to revamp its regional and domestic policies. The book vividly captures Tabler's behind-the-scenes experiences and provides a firsthand look at 21st-century Syria and Washington's attempts to craft a'New Middle East.'Examining the effects of the neoconservatives'strategy and asking what went wrong and how Washington can achieve a new relationship with this pivotal Middle Eastern nation, this investigation provides a rare glimpse into U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Traveling to thousand-year-old olive groves, besieged villages, refugee camps, checkpoints, and barracks, Michael Riordon talks with people on both sides of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict who fight violence and war through creative resistance. The region remains a symbol of instability fueled by violence and hatred, and this investigation enters into the heart of the dispute and offers a different perspective. The author uncovers the crises that stirred them to act, the risks they face in working for peace, and the small victories that sustain them. These stories of Israelis who refuse to see Palestinians as enemies and Palestinians who practice nonviolent resistance break all stereotypes. In the face of deepening conflict, this portrait of courageous grassroots action provides hope for a livable future and inspiration to peace activists in all nations. Traveling to thousand-year-old olive groves, besieged villages, refugee camps, checkpoints, and barracks, Michael Riordon talks with people on both sides of the Israeli Palestinian conflict that fight violence and war through creative resistance. The region remains a symbol of instability fueled by violence and hatred, and this investigation enters into the heart of the dispute and offers a different perspective. The author uncovers the crises that stirred them to act, the risks they face in working for peace, and the small victories that sustain them. These stories of Israelis who refuse to see Palestinians as enemies and Palestinians who practice nonviolent resistance break all stereotypes. In the face of deepening conflict, this portrait of courageous grassroots action provides hope for a livable future and inspiration to peace activists in all nations

This stunning book of photographs captures the graffiti and art that have transformed Israel’s wall into a living canvas of resistance and solidarity.

            Featuring the work of artists Banksy, Ron English, Blu, and others, as well as Palestinian artists and activists, these photographs express outrage, compassion, and touching humor. They illustrate the wall’s toll on lives and livelihoods, showing the hardship it has brought to tens of thousands of people, preventing their access to work, education, and vital medical care.

            Mixed with the images are portraits and vignettes, offering a heartfelt and inspiring account of a people determined to uphold their dignity in the face of profound injustice.

Joumana Haddad is angry. She finds the West’s portrayal of Arab women appalling and the image projected by many Middle Eastern women infuriating. “Being an Arab today means you need to be a hypocrite,” Haddad boldly states. “We constantly and obsessively think about sex but dare not talk about it.” In I Killed Scheherazade, Haddad challenges prevalent notions of Arab womanhood and, in the process, shatters the centuries-old stereotype of Scheherazade, the virgin heroine of The Arabian Nights who won the king’s affections. Fiery and candid, this provocative exploration of what it means to be an Arab woman today will enlighten and inform a new international feminism.

Joumana Haddad is angry. She finds the West's portrayal of Arab women appalling and the image projected by many Middle Eastern women infuriating. "Being an Arab today means you need to be a hypocrite," Haddad boldly states. "We constantly and obsessively think about sex but dare not talk about it." In I Killed Scheherazade, Haddad challenges prevalent notions of Arab womanhood and, in the process, shatters the centuries-old stereotype of Scheherazade, the virgin heroine of The Arabian Nights who won the king's affections. Fiery and candid, this provocative exploration of what it means to be an Arab woman today will enlighten and inform a new international feminism. --- Book Description Featuring the work of acclaimed artists such as Banksy, Ron English, and Blu, as well as Palestinian artists and activists, the photographs in this collection express outrage, compassion, and touching humor while illustrating the lives and livelihoods of the tens of thousands of people affected by Israel's wall. This stunning book of photographs details the graffiti and art that have transformed Israel's Wall of Separation into a canvas of symbolic resistance and solidarity. The compelling images are interspersed with vignettes of the people whose lives are affected by the wall and who suffer due to a lack of work, education, and vital medical care The making of presidents First meeting with the martyrs Up among the Christians Lunch with priest and parishioner The bus to civil war Another kind of Christian Fugitives from the catastrophe The hills above the city The south : under enemy eyes The making of the border The Sheikh makes his point The People's Republic of Tyre An interrupted afternoon Mr UNIFIL Among the believers New lines in the sand In search of Sunnis. Riordon explores the conflict through local Israeli and Palestinian peace activists who break all the stereotypes, fighting violence and war through creative resistance. He uncovers the crises that stirred them to act, the risks they face in working for peace, and the small victories that sustain them Sitting at the center of the war-torn Middle East, Lebanon seems eternally on the brink of crisis. But what is the country all about? In Spirit of the Phoenix: Beirut and the Story of Lebanon, veteran journalist Tim Llewellyn looks to the people themselves for the answers The Arab world's twilight zone The great unraveling Paradise lost Pressure yields results The enemy of my enemy is my friend No voice louder than the cry of battle Fire in the orchard Weathering the storm Epilogue : the expectations gap. Featuring the work of artists Banksy, Ron English, Blu, and others, this stunning bok of photographs captures the graffiti and art that have transformed Israel's wall into a living canvas of resistance and solidarity. Featuring the work of artists Banksy, Ron English, Blu, and others, this stunning book of photographs captures the graffiti and art that have transformed Israel's wall into a living canvas of resistance and solidarity Provides a rare glimpse into the machinations of one of the world's most baffling political systems, examining what has gone wrong and how Washington should deal with this volatile Middle Eastern nation -- Publisher The dramatic chronicle of an American journalist caught between President Bashar and U.S. Middle East policy