Mar 11th, 2010 · Less than one year ago, President Barack Obama delivered a speech in Cairo in which he promised to redefine the relationship between the U.S. and the Islamic world. The speech was well-received across the Middle East, but it's unclear if perceptions or policy have changed.
Mar 9th, 2010 · Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, about 4 million Iraqis have fled their homes. Another 2 million have fled the country entirely. Throughout the war, NPR's Deborah Amos has spent much of her time with Iraqis, who fled to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. She has a new book out: Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East.
Jan 27th, 2010 · Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Ricks talks about the upcoming national elections in Iraq and predicts an unexpectedly prolonged involvement in the region. "I don't think Americans realize just how stuck we are in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Middle East," he says.
Jan 21st, 2010 · U.S. envoy George Mitchell is back in the Middle East, trying to revive peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. A series of demands from both sides have prevented a resumption of peace talks, and neither side is optimistic about the outcome.
Jan 13th, 2010 · The composer is at the forefront of a movement to capture the sound of the new Britain — a place that's home to a young generation with roots in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Nitin Sawhney's latest album is called London Undersound.
Jan 8th, 2010 · The headwaters of the Middle East's great rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, originate in Turkey, which controls flow of the waters to the Arab world downstream. A three-year drought has devastated Syria and Iraq, fueling resentment against the Turks.
Jan 7th, 2010 · The Middle East is facing its worst water crisis in decades. For three summers, the annual rains have failed to come. Farmland has dried up in Iraq, Syria, southeast Turkey and Lebanon. The dire conditions are creating a new phenomenon: water refugees.
Jan 5th, 2010 · Aleppo, in northern Syria, is one of the oldest cities in the world. Now, this Middle East gourmet capital is registering on the itineraries of food tourists. Its cuisine is the product of fertile land and location — along the Silk Road, an ancient trading route.