—Voices from the Sensible Center—

Interpreting the Middle East for North Americans—
Interpreting North America for the Middle East

Special Reports

2 The ABCs of Gulf Security—Seldom have things in the Gulf been so complex—or so dangerous—as they are right now. The Washington Report tries to answer some of the questions being asked by non-experts who are confused by what is happening.

4 Whatever Happened to Golan?—The Golan Heights, which were effectively annexed last December, have dropped out of the news. Virtually unnoticed, therefore, Israel has been trying to make its annexation stick by imposing measures that include the longest period of collective punishment ever imposed on its occupied territories.

4 U.S.-Arab Trade Moves Up—U.S. exports to Arab countries are rising at a whopping 25 percent rate, with Saudi Arabia in first place as leading importer of American goods and services. This is a fillip to the U.S. during a recession.

5 Lobby Activities—The National Association of Arab Americans is meeting resistance on the Hill in its continued efforts to get Congress to hold hearings on the subject of West Bank killings by Israeli soldiers and civilians. In the meantime, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is trying to make the point that the whole issue has been overblown by the American media.

Regular Features

2 Editorial—In what observers called his best-prepared press conference ever, President Reagan "mis-spoke" himself on the only question he was asked about the Middle East. It wasn't just that he got his facts wrong, but he appeared to be accepting, without question, the Israeli version of events.

6 Facts for Your Files—Chronology of U.S.-Middle East Relations Upcoming Events

7 Book Review—Remember what happened to the USS Liberty? Not everyone seems to, even though 34 American sailors were killed and 171 wounded when it was attacked by Israeli planes and torpedo boats during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. A book written by an officer who watched the attack and survived it makes it very hard for a reader to accept the Israeli claim that the attack was just a mistake.

8 Personality—Dr. William B. Quandt is a Middle East specialist who has served on the U.S. National Security Council during two different administrations. He is now with a prestigious Washington, D.C. "think-tank," and is ready to share his expertise with a variety of people and institutions.