Peyman Pejman

Also by Peyman Pejman

• March 11, 2005

  Middle East: Hariri Death Leaves Lebanon's Economy In Dilemma

  The bomb blast that killed Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on 14 February. The car-bomb explosion that ripped through central Beirut nearly one month ago -- killing former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and nine other people -- threw the country's political scene into chaos. But it also imposed a new economic reality. Hariri ran Lebanese governments for more than a decade in the wake of a ruinous civil war, but his greatest impact was arguably on the country's economy. A real-estate magnate and friend to powerful Arab and Western interests, Hariri was a conspicuous part of virtually any discussion of Lebanon's economic fortunes.

• March 08, 2005

  Middle East: Lebanon's Opposition Puts Aside Differences to Confront Syria

  The blast that killed Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on 14 February (file photo) In Lebanon, opposition parties calling for Syria to pull its troops from the country include both Christian and Moslem factions. Some say the newly united front that these parties present to the pro-Syrian Lebanese government would not have been possible just a few years ago. That is because reconciliation efforts to bring the country's diverse religious groups together -- whether in the government or the opposition -- remain a tentative process, though there are growing signs of success.

• March 07, 2005

  Middle East: Lebanon's Political Future Remains Unclear

  Hariri died in this blast on 14 February The leader of Lebanon's powerful Hizballah movement has warned that a complete withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon under international pressure would be dangerous. Hizballah's Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said such a move could lead to chaos in Lebanon, where a political vacuum has emerged following the departure of Prime Minister Omar Karami's pro-Syrian government. Meanwhile, opponents of pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud fear he might use the political impasse to appoint an emergency government -- or even a military regime.

• March 01, 2005

  Middle East: After Prime Minister's Resignation, What Next For Lebanon?

  The main question in Lebanon this week is what will happen next following the unexpected resignation on 28 February of Prime Minister Omar Karami. It's still not clear why Karami resigned, but analysts say his departure creates a potentially dangerous political vacuum.

• February 28, 2005

  Middle East: Thousands in Beirut Defy Protest Ban, Call For Syrian Withdrawal

  The 14 February bomb blast that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri (file photo) Thousands of Lebanese braved rain on 28 February to gather on Beirut's Martyrs' Square to protest Syria's military and political presence in their country.

• November 02, 2004

  Middle East: Many Arabs See Little Difference Between Bush And Kerry

  The winner of today's election in the United States will have a strong impact on people around the world. This is particularly true for those in the Gulf and Middle East. The Iraq war, the war on terror, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and the price of oil -- all important regional issues -- have also been major campaign issues.

• September 14, 2004

  Russia: Observers Comment On Arab Coverage Of Beslan Tragedy

  Women wait during the raid Observers say they detect differences in the way the Arab media has covered the Russian school siege from previous terrorist attacks. The siege in Beslan in early September killed some 330 people. Considerable attention appears to have been focused on the victims -- many of whom were children -- rather than simply the terrorists and their causes.

• September 07, 2004

  Iraq: Intense Fighting Reported in Al-Sadr City As Cease-Fire Talks Hit Stumbling Blocks

  At least 15 people have been killed and scores wounded in fighting between U.S. and militant forces in recent fighting in Baghdad's impoverished Al-Sadr City neighborhood. The fighting between U.S. troops and militiamen loyal to Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was reportedly the most intense in the district since April. A U.S. military spokesman said the fighting started when militants attacked U.S. forces conducting routine patrols. But al-Sadr's forces blame intrusive incursions by U.S. soldiers, as well as what they say are attempts to arrest the firebrand cleric.

• September 06, 2004

  Iraq: Chalabi Says U.S. Organization May Be Behind Attacks

  Ahmad Chalabi (file photo) Ahmad Chalabi, the controversial Iraqi politician and a onetime favorite of some officials of the U.S. Defense Department, has seen his political star fade in recent months. Largely abandoned by his U.S. allies, Chalabi has become the target of attack by Iraqi opponents as well. Now, in an interview in Baghdad with RFE/RL, Chalabi says he is investigating reports that the U.S. National Security Council may have instigated the recent political attacks against him.

• September 03, 2004

  Iraq: A Closer Look At Baghdad's Green Zone

  In the heart of Baghdad lies a complex of palaces, ordinary houses, and even a park. But the area is more than a central neighborhood in the Iraqi capital. It is the so-called Green Zone, a place of great importance to both Iraqi officials and the U.S.-led multinational force -- and a source of continued political wrangling.

• September 01, 2004

  Iraq: Amid Violence, National Council Begins Work

  A series of mortar attacks were launched today near the venue where Iraq's new transitional parliament, the National Council, was holding its inaugural session. RFE/RL reports that the attacks served as a reminder that security remains one of Iraq's key problems.

• September 01, 2004

  Iraq: Oil Output In Question, But Officials Still Confident Of Long-Term Prospects

  (file photo) As almost daily attacks continue on Iraq's oil pipelines continue, daily output appears to be dropping to annual lows -- and with it, the country's hope of much-needed revenue for reconstruction. But as RFE/RL reports, local officials are still eager to portray the country's long-term oil future in a positive light.

• August 23, 2004

  Iraq: NATO Delegation to Promote Training Effort

  A NATO delegation is visiting Iraq to promote efforts to help train Iraqi security forces. Many details are still unclear.

• August 23, 2004

  Iraq: Foreign Minister Says Al-Najaf Conflict Undermining Government

  Foreign Minister al-Zebari (file photo) Iraq's interim Foreign Minister Hoshyar al-Zebari told RFE/RL in an exclusive interview yesterday that the ongoing conflict in the southern Iraqi city of Al-Najaf is hurting the government's credibility. He also said he thinks some other ministers in the interim administration made a mistake by calling Iran the "Enemy No. 1" of Iraq.

• August 23, 2004

  Iraq: Al-Sadr Spokesman Says Militia Will Not Vacate Imam Ali Shrine Courtyard

  Muqtada al-Sadr's spokesman in Baghdad, Sheikh Salah Jasem al-Obaidi, told RFE/RL in an exclusive interview that Al-Sadr remains in the city of Al-Najaf and that his fighters in the Imam Al-Mahdi Army will not vacate the courtyard of the Imam Ali Shrine in Al-Najaf.

• August 21, 2004

  Iraq: Business Slows After Postwar Boom

  A year ago, the streets of Baghdad were bustling with commercial activities. Now, it appears, those days are gone.

• July 19, 2004

  Afghanistan: U.S. Envoy Says Free Elections, Disbanding Militias Key To Country's Future

  Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan, told RFE/RL that Washington will not attempt to influence the country's presidential elections in October. Khalilzad, who was in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) in search of investment from the local Afghan community, also said the United States is determined to help disarm Afghanistan's private militias.

• July 02, 2004

  U.A.E.: Muslim Federation Of States Is Hub of International Prostitution

  Prostitution is a subject that officials in the United Arab Emirates do not want to talk about. Officially, prostitution does not even exist in the U.A.E., a conservative Muslim federation of autonomous emirates. But in fact, prostitution is a multimillion-dollar industry there. Many of the women involved have traveled or been brought to the U.A.E. from poor countries abroad. And many say they suffer abuse and other difficulties in the emirate's sex trade.

• June 02, 2004

  Saudi Arabia: Officials Seek To Downplay Oil-Terror Fears

  Recent terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia -- like this weekend's fatal hostage-taking of foreign oil workers in Al-Khobar -- have sparked fears that oil facilities in the world's largest exporting country may become targets for Islamist militants. But Saudi officials are downplaying such concerns, saying production will remain steady.

• March 31, 2004

  Saudi Arabia: Prince Says Country Working To Promote Foreign Investment

  Prince Abdullah bin Faysal bin Turki is one of the key advocates of economic reform in Saudi Arabia. He also has served as chief of the Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority, a government body charged with attracting foreign investment. In a recent interview with RFE/RL correspondent Peyman Pejman, Prince Abdullah discussed his country's financial future.

Load more