THE QUESTION

The White House says the Baghdad government has made satisfactory progress toward half its goals and unsatisfactory progress toward the other half. Is half enough? How can we tell whether things are moving in the right direction?

Posted by David Ignatius & Fareed Zakaria on July 18, 2007 10:41 AM

FROM THE PANEL

Lamis Andoni is a Middle East consultant for Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news station. She has been covering the Middle East for 20 years. She has reported for the Christian Science Monitor, the Financial Times and the main newspapers in Jordan. She was a professor at the Graduate School in UC Berkeley.

Destroying (Uh, Saving) Iraq Not Yet Done

I do agree with Mr. President that the job is not yet done. The country is torn but not permanently broken. Sectarianism is confined to a conflict between Shias and Sunnis -- the Kurds, the Christians and other minorities are not yet actively engaged in the blood bath. Iraq can still be taken a lot farther down this chosen path.

Lamis Andoni Doha, Qatar | 50 COMMENTS
Jul 20, 2007 at 10:16 AM
Bashir Goth is a veteran journalist, freelance writer, the first Somali blogger and editor of a leading news website. He is also a regular contributor to major Middle Eastern and African newspapers and online journals.

Progress by Whose Standards?

Bashir Goth Somalia/UAE | 91 COMMENTS
Dr. Ali Ettefagh serves as a director of Highmore Global Corporation, an investment company in emerging markets of Eastern Europe, CIS, and the Middle East. He is the co-author of several books on trade conflict, resolution of international trade disputes, conflicts in letters of credit, trade-related banking transactions, sovereign debt, arbitration and dispute resolutions and publications specific to the oil and gas, communication, aviation and finance sectors. Dr. Ettefagh is a member of the executive committee and the board of directors of The Development Foundation, an advisor to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and an advisor to a number of European companies. Dr. Ettefagh speaks Persian (Farsi), English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Turkish.

It's the (Iraqi) Economy, Stupid!

Ali Ettefagh Tehran, Iran | 41 COMMENTS
Saul Singer is Editorial Page Editor and author of the weekly column “Interesting Times” for the Jerusalem Post. He is the author of Confronting Jihad: Israel's Struggle and the World After 9/11. Before moving to Israel from the Washington area in 1994, Mr. Singer served for ten years as an advisor on the personal and committee staffs of the United States Congress, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senate Banking Committee, and Senator Connie Mack.

Iraq Can Succeed -- Unless Iran Gets Nukes

Saul Singer Jerusalem, Israel | 185 COMMENTS
Rami G. Khouri
ALL PANELIST RESPONSES

READER RESPONSE

» Martin Zehr | Progress where? The progress of the Kurdish nation has been considerably marked by independence and self-reliance. It is significant that Turkey has e...
» D. Hodara | Frankly to suggest that things may be moving in the right direction is sheer wishful thinking. A war against insurgents can never be won by a regular ...
» Art M | First of all, if the White House says it, one should start from a point of complete disbelief. If you take a White House statement and immediately co...
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