VOL. XLII

No 43

25-October-1999

The Political Scene

The Arab Gulf states are having to come to terms with thefact that the US is preparing to make its military presence in the regionsomething of a permanent fixture a reality that is the source of discomfortfor some in the region. The start of a thaw in US-Iran relations, in themeantime, still awaits the settlement of disagreements over preconditions fordialogue. In Egypt, a surprise crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood has raisedfears of an...