This publication is now archived. What is the United Nations’ role in Iraq?It is a big player on the humanitarian scene--its agencies have, for example, distributed 1 million tons of food and million…

Backgrounder: Some experts say a "Shiite crescent" holds the potential to transform Islamic politics in the coming years.

The anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, virtually unknown before the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s government, has leveraged his family name to become one of the most influential Shiite leaders in m…

This publication is now archived. How serious is the fundamentalist threat in Pakistan?Islamic fundamentalists, some of whom are believed to have targeted President Pervez Musharraf in two near-miss …

This publication is now archived. A Condensed HistorySomalia was created in 1960 by the merger of British Somaliland Protectorate and the colony of Italian Somaliland. The United Republic of Somalia …