The French are not cheese-eating surrender monkeys. That’s an old canard—you know, a French word—sealed by unfortunate performances in the World Wars. But, as France’s robust recent intervention into Mali shows, …
Africa
Algeria’s Hostage Crisis: What Was Behind a Shadowy Militant Leader’s Plot?
As the Algerian hostage drama neared day four confusion remained high, information tight, and speculation about multiple motives behind the terror strike emerge
Algeria Intervenes in Hostage Crisis as Mali’s War Spreads Regional Chaos
One day after Islamic militants invaded an Algerian gas field and seized dozens of Western workers, there are fears that several of the foreign hostages might be dead—potentially escalating the military intervention in …
Why Afghan Ghosts Haunt France’s Mali Intervention
Comparisons with Afghanistan are inevitable when any Western country sends its military to war in a Muslim country where al-Qaeda has set up shop — and the comparison may be a particularly uncomfortable one for France’s …
Westerners Kidnapped in North Africa — but Is France the Real Target?
Less than a week into France’s military intervention against Islamist militias in Mali, evidence builds confirming French concerns that their country has become the main focus of jihadi terrorist activity
War in Mali: France Can Bomb Militants, but Not Arms Routes
To fight a war, you need three essentials: weapons, fighters and cash
Intelligence Agent Presumed Dead in Failed French Raid of Somali Islamists
Just hours after France’s military intervene in Mali to battle Islamist militias, a French raid fails to rescue a captive spy held by Somali extremists
The Crisis in Mali: Will French Air Strikes Stop the Islamist Advance?
The de facto al-Qaeda state in northern Mali surprised the world by moving forces toward the capital Bamako. Now France and its African allies have been galvanized into action. But will it be sufficient?
In Libya: Why the Benghazi Investigation Is Going Nowhere
Evidence is confusing, suspects are not in custody, and investigators into the case have vanished — or worse
Is Marrakech’s Westernized Female Mayor a Real Figure for Change?
Upstairs in the old city-hall building in this ancient tourist mecca, there is an unexpected sight: in the sprawling mayoral suite, the head of Morocco’s third biggest urban area, a city with more than a million people, is …
The Last Harvest: South African Vineyard Yields Much More Than Grapes
A vineyard in South Africa has deep roots in the country’s past—and offers hope for the future.
France’s Colonial Hangover: Apologizing Abroad, Ignoring Injustice at Home
French President François Hollande took strides to heal wounds between France and Algeria, but his recognition of “unjust” colonial history overlooks continued prejudice Algerian descendents still face in France.
Egypt’s Referendum: As Second Vote Nears, National Unity Nowhere in Sight
New constitutions, particularly in postrevolutionary societies, ought to be unifying documents. They are supposed to articulate what collective future a nation sees for itself. Halfway through the final step in Egypt’s tortured …