Ghassan Charbel
Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper

In the Company Weak Mighty Players

The most dangerous thing about the blaze engulfing the Middle East is that the powerful players are also weak. They have the ability to launch and wage a war, but lack the ability to end it with a knockout blow or a viable settlement. The extent of the crisis demonstrates that sedatives are…

Iran and Israel ... Questions and Fiery Messages 

The night of April 13-14, 2024 has taken up a distinguished position in the memory of the region. It has been a long time that newsrooms were so fervent to learn the latest developments. Perhaps the night of March 19-20, 2003 - when American rockets rained down on Baghdad to oust Saddam Hussein -…

Gaza Timing and Iranian Timing

If a journalist digs into the recent memory of the Middle East, he fails to find beautiful or optimistic events. Those are completely absent or rare. Road signs are burdened with wars, collapses, assassinations, militias, poverty, deception and suicidal tendencies. They also bear the marks of…

A Man Dreaming of a Corpse

He lies down to sleep. He is exhausted. This is the toughest war Israel has ever fought. Fighting armies was easier than this. Its headlines would have been known and these armies would eventually be broken. Strike their airports, headquarters and burn their tanks. They can be forced to swallow the…

When Wounded Empires Are Affected

An experienced man once advised me: “Don’t forget the wounds of history when you write about the crises of the present.” I paused at his statement. The speaker believes that the world is headed towards a new dangerous phase where the world’s sole superpower loses its hegemony and empires of the…

Putin Is Entrusted to Continue the Flood 

It was the year 1952. Ian Fleming sat down and pondered his concerns and skills as a journalist and intelligence officer. So came to life his novel “Casino Royale” that would introduce the world to brilliant Secret Agent 007, James Bond. Bond is a clever, witty and athletic spy. He relishes…

From Plane Hijacker to ‘Architect of the Flood’

Benjamin Netanyahu has taken his place in history. He is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, outlasting “founding father” David Ben-Gurion. He has killed more Palestinians than all generals of his army combined. It has been quite rare for an oppressor to kill such a massive number of children…

Containing the Second Nakba

How difficult is Gaza! How cruel are the scenes coming from it! Deadly provocative images. Daggers that attack the eye and the soul. All expressions of anger, all cries, are wasted. How difficult is Gaza! Fields that are designated for massacre. The corpses of its days are mixed with the…

Mr. President’s Delusions 

I do not like pessimists, but I sometimes find that they have something worth pausing at. The diplomat said he was not optimistic about the future of both Europe and the world. He considered that Vladimir Putin’s approach to victory in Ukraine confirms the fall of a safety valve represented by…

The Second Candle and the International Jungle

The masters of the profession taught us not to fall under the weight of the event, not to jump to hasty final conclusions, and to put the scene within the context of history and geography. We must pay attention to the deep spirit in the arena of events, the arsenal of hatred, and the temptation of…