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Jeffrey Donovan

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May 31, 2004
Iraq: Pushing Aside UN, Governing Council Takes Matters Into Own Hands

In a shift away from a process that had appeared to be led by the United Nations, the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council has taken control of deciding who should serve in an interim government due to take power next month. The UN appears flustered by the council's power grab, and doubts remain about whether the new government will enjoy any legitimacy in the eyes of ordinary Iraqis.
May 27, 2004
Israel: Police Arrest British Reporter Who Exposed Nuclear Secrets

Israeli police have arrested a British journalist who exposed the Jewish state's atomic secrets in a 1986 interview with nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu. The arrest of Peter Hounam, who was reportedly preparing a documentary on Vanunu for the BBC, underscores Israel's extreme sensitivity over its nuclear weapons stockpile, the existence of which it has never acknowledged.
May 24, 2004
Spain: Striking A Balance Between Terror Fight And Respect For Civil Rights

Since the Madrid train bombings on 11 March, Spain has struggled to find ways to clamp down on Islamic militants while respecting religious rights. But after a proposal for the mandatory registration of Muslim clergy was widely rejected as unconstitutional, the government has found balancing rights with antiterrorism measures is no easy task.
May 21, 2004
Central Asia: U.S. Conference Begins On Region's Environmental Problems

A two-day international conference examining environmental problems and climate change in Central Asia begins today in the United States. RFE/RL looks at the main topics under discussion, such as desertification around the Aral Sea and global warming.
May 20, 2004
Middle East: Israeli Court Convicts Key Palestinian Leader For Deadly Attacks

Marwan Barghouti, once a prominent supporter of peace with Israel, was long seen as a likely successor to Yassir Arafat as Palestinian leader. Today, Barghouti faces life in prison after an Israeli court convicted him of murder in connection with attacks on five Israelis.
May 19, 2004
Middle East: U.S. Sends Mixed Messages As Israel Intensifies Gaza Raids

First, Secretary of State Colin Powell warned Israel that the United States opposes the destruction of Palestinian homes. Then, a few days later, President George W. Bush softened the message, emphasizing Israel's right to self-defense as it continues a deadly operation in Gaza it says is targeted at stopping the smuggling of arms.
May 18, 2004
World: On Pope's 84th Birthday, Succession Talk Looks To Africa

Pope John Paul II celebrates his 84th birthday today amid the usual speculation about who might eventually succeed him as leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics. Many Vatican watchers believe the time may be ripe for a non-European pope, possibly even an African. As RFE/RL reports, the choice of the future pontiff may have something to do with rising tensions between the Christian and Muslim worlds.
May 17, 2004
Middle East/U.S.: Washington Turns On Diplomatic 'Charm Offensive,' But Will The Region Listen?

Faced with Arab wrath over the prison torture scandal in Iraq and Washington's support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the United States is engaged in a major diplomatic push in the Middle East. The offensive has included rare criticism of Israel and high-level talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei. But do the new U.S. efforts constitute a real policy shift -- or are they just damage control?
May 14, 2004
India: Italian-Born Gandhi Defies Odds In Tradition-Bound Country

Sonia Gandhi, once derided by a political rival as "an Italian dog," is poised to become India's new prime minister. Recent elections have put to an end to a debate about whether her foreign birth would keep the widow of Rajiv Gandhi from ruling the world's largest democracy.
May 13, 2004
From The Archive: Solzhenitsyn Says Putin's Russia Falls 'Between Democracy And Dictatorship'

A decade ago, many thought Russia had irreversibly crossed the boundary separating dictatorship from democracy. But if the processes unleashed by Mikhail Gorbachev and continued under Boris Yeltsin have not lead to liberal democracy under Vladimir Putin, what kind of system has taken hold in post-Soviet Russia? A new book by U.S. and Russian scholars seeks to answer that question.
May 12, 2004
U.S.: Bush's Domestic Allies Say His Administration Is Losing Its Way In Iraq

U.S. President George W. Bush The Bush administration, after three years of ambitious policies, is facing complaints from key conservatives that it no longer produces fresh ideas. Conservative writers such as Robert Kagan, William Kristol and George Will accuse the administration of failing to live up to its vow to build an Iraqi democracy as a model for the Middle East, and say that by wavering in Iraq, Bush could lose public support -- and potentially lose the White House as well.
May 11, 2004
World: Iraq War, Labor Strife Cast Shadow Over Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes film festival kicks off tomorrow in an atmosphere that promises to be half cinematic spectacle and half political controversy. Films from Serbia, Iran, Russia, and Kazakhstan will all be screened during the 11-day festival in the French resort town. But labor protests and a mounting firestorm over a documentary criticizing the U.S. war on terror may bring a somber note to what is usually one of the most glamorous celebrations of the art of cinema.
May 05, 2004
Afghanistan: As Kabul Appeals To Opponents, Radical Faction Makes Peace Gesture

A breakaway faction of Hizb-e Islami -- a radical Islamic group linked to guerrilla attacks in Afghanistan -- has come out in favor of peace and playing a role in the Kabul government. The move comes as Afghan Transitional Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai, seeking to exert his power in the provinces, has appealed to rank-and-file members of the Taliban to help the country. But as RFE/RL correspondent Jeffrey Donovan reports, those Hizb-e Islami members who have made the peace gesture do not appear to represent the group's firebrand leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
May 03, 2004
Middle East: Likud Party Rejects Sharon Plan As 'Quartet' Prepares To Meet

Will Sharon seek a nationwide referendum to gain support for his plan? Ariel Sharon's Likud Party has overwhelmingly rejected a plan by the Israeli prime minister to unilaterally remove Israeli troops and settlements from Gaza. Yesterday's vote is seen by some as an embarrassment for the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, who boldly backed the controversial plan despite broad international criticism. RFE/RL correspondent Jeffrey Donovan looks at the situation ahead of a meeting in New York tomorrow of the Middle East "Quartet."
April 30, 2004
Iraq: Protesters Walk Fine Line In Marching For Release Of Italian Hostages

A week ago, three Italian hostages in Iraq appeared set to be freed. Now, their fate hangs in the balance. After their captors vowed to kill the hostages unless Italians protested Rome's military effort in Iraq, thousands of people marched through Rome last night in an appeal joined by Pope John Paul II for the release of the hostages. Protesters even sent a video to Arab television Al-Jazeera, urging clemency for their countrymen.
April 29, 2004
OSCE: Berlin Conference Pledges To Fight Anti-Semitism

A two-day international conference on anti-Semitism that concluded today in Berlin comes as a new EU report says attacks on Jews have increased in several member states, including a six-fold rise in France.
April 27, 2004
Middle East: Washington Facing 'Hatred Like Never Before' In Arab World

The United States is facing rising animosity in many parts of the Arab world because of its policies on Israel and Iraq. Far from winning over hearts and minds, analysts say U.S. foreign policy may actually be turning more Muslims against America.
April 22, 2004
Middle East: U.S. Faces Uphill Battle To Win Support For Regional Democracy Plan

With Muslim resentment of the United States growing, Washington is hoping to enlist European help in jumpstarting an ambitious U.S. plan to promote economic reform and democracy in the Arab world. But Europe has deep misgivings about the Greater Middle East Democracy Initiative, and appears unlikely to fully back the plan at summit meetings this June.
April 20, 2004
Middle East: U.S. Faces Hamas Threats, Allies' Criticism After Backing Israeli Plan

The United States faces fresh diplomatic fallout from President George W. Bush's decision to support a controversial plan by Israel to leave Gaza but secure key West Bank settlements. Jordan's King Abdullah, a key U.S. Arab ally, signaled his displeasure yesterday by canceling a meeting with Bush. Meanwhile, Egypt, Germany, and France intensified calls to revive the "road map," insisting the U.S.-backed peace plan is still alive.
April 19, 2004
Middle East: U.S. Throws Weight Behind Controversial Israeli Acts

In less than a week, the United States has thrown its weight behind two controversial acts by Israel and in so doing may have helped set off a major shift in the debate over Middle East peace. First, U.S. President George W. Bush endorsed a hotly contested Israeli plan for Gaza and the West Bank in what analysts say amounted to an overhaul of decades of U.S. policy. Then, faced with international reproach, the Bush administration declined to condemn Israel's assassination of the leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

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