VOL. XLIV

No 42

15 October 2001

ThePolitical Scene

Given widespread popularresentment of the US in the region, it was hardly surprising that Americasfriends in the Middle East greeted the start of the American assault onAfghanistan with caution or even silence. However, the Organization of theIslamic Conference the worlds leading Muslim forum has let the US off surprisingly lightly, while warning it notto widen the war on terrorism to include other Muslim or Arab states. Theexigencies of the...