Politics

Aman of noble stature, both in physique and poise, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari’s humility and sincerity were rivaled only by the ease of his conversation. His ability to recall minute de-tails instantaneously was certainly impressive, but not surprising given his educational and professional record. Fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Persian, he has earned three doctoral degrees, two in Political Science from University of Sceaux and from La Sorbonne, both in Paris, France, and a third in the History of Islamic Civilization in South East Asia from the University of Sharif Hedayatuallah in Jakarta, Indonesia. Prior to his appointment as Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations headquarters in New York, he worked in various capacities at Syrian Embassies in France and Indonesia, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Damascus, and finally as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations office in Geneva.

Farooq Mitha

n slightly more than a year, there will be a new president in the United where both Democrats and Republicans have significant primary elections. This election is so unique because it is the _first time since 1928 in which there is no incumbent President or Vice President seeking the Presidential nomination of his party. With critical issues on the table including the war in iraq, economic conditions and health care concerns, this election will determine the course of America for years to come.