NEW YORK: President Barack Obama has extended an open hand of friendship in his landmark Cairo speech to the Muslim world - seeking to engage Muslims with a commitment of mutual respect. No one can doubt his sincerity. From his first days in office, (...)
NEW YORK: Few places in the world offer as daunting a set of challenges as South Asia. A narcotics-fueled insurgency threatens newly democratic Afghanistan. A resurgent Taliban in its tribal areas has destabilized Pakistan. The recent carnage in (...)
On Aug. 8, 2008, the world watched with awe the amazing spectacle of the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing. We saw the electronic unrolling of Chinese scrolls replete with great historic symbols and were mesmerized by dancers creating "harmony, (...)
The world watched in horror when Taliban forces destroyed the monumental Buddha statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan in 2001. Political and cultural leaders from around the globe condemned the attacks. Offers of help poured in. Everyone asked: Will the (...)