Zaid Al-Ali is an attorney at the New York Bar and specialises in international commercial arbitration. He has graduated from King's College London, the Sorbonne University in Paris and Harvard Law School. He is currently writing a book on the Iraqi constitution with Jõrg Fedtke, to be published in 2009.

Recent articles

The challenges to Iraq's authorities following the withdrawal of United States military forces from Iraq’s cities include building clean and efficient institutions that command the respect of citizens. The fight against corruption is central to the task, says Zaid Al-Ali.

Barack Obama’s appeal for “a new beginning” in America’s relationship with Islam is finding an echo across the middle east, report Karim Kasim & Zaid Al-Ali.

The campaign for Lebanon’s elections in June 2009 reflects the country's deep sectarian and ideological fissures. Indeed, the background to the vote is an extraordinary story of political tension and polarisation, which came to a climax in May 2008. In a closely-observed portrait of the country’s self-inflicted wounds, Zaid Al-Ali asks what Lebanon needs to create for itself an inclusive future.

The United States president-elect promises to withdraw troops from Iraq. Will he deliver? Barack Obama's past statements offer a less certain guide than his opposition to the Iraq war might suggest, says Zaid Al-Ali.

Lebanon's security as well as its self-interest demands a policy of humanity and respect towards the Palestinians in its midst, says Zaid Al-Ali.