MENASource

As the MENA region continues to be the epicenter of news headlines, the Atlantic Council’s MENASource is a hub for thought-provoking and hard-hitting analyses about the latest trends, ideas, and debates. This online publication provides fast reactions and in-depth commentary on breaking news and key regional topics by a diverse team of experts and contributors.

MENASource brings you up-close to a region at the epicenter of geo-political headlines. It is the Atlantic Council’s hub for in-depth commentary about breaking news, key topics, and trends from our team of experts on the Middle East and North Africa.

The views expressed in MENASource are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

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Tunisia’s democracy: Between economic reform and public engagement

MENASource Jul 31, 2026

Why GCC integration matters more than ever

Gulf countries can’t build their knowledge economies of the future on their own.

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Tunisia’s democracy: Between economic reform and public engagement

MENASource Jul 13, 2026

Israel’s next government must prioritize the Abraham Accords

By Amit Yarom and Itai Melchior

The fall election could open a narrow window for Israel to reset its regional strategy and create momentum to expand normalization.
Israel Politics & Diplomacy
Tunisia’s democracy: Between economic reform and public engagement

MENASource Aug 3, 2026

Can al-Zaidi separate the sects from the state in Iraq?

By Munqith Dagher

The biggest challenge facing Iraq’s prime minister is how to curb the role of sectarian institutions in shaping Iraq’s state decisions.
Conflict Iran

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Content

MENASource

Oct 26, 2017

Tunisia’s democracy: Between economic reform and public engagement

By Elissa Miller and Andrea Taylor

Tunisia’s transition to democracy is in a difficult spot: the public is frustrated with the political and economic situation, but the political elite are shying away from needed public engagement. Two recent events stand out: the 2018 draft budget law put forward this month and the recent postponement of the local elections to next year. […]

Democratic Transitions Macroeconomics

MENASource

Oct 25, 2017

The Middle East after decertification: A French perspective

By Michel Duclos

France played a significant role in the negotiations that led to the deal with Iran known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The French wanted a “robust deal,” and they were concerned by the Obama administration’s tendency to turn a blind eye to Iran’s regional policy with the aim of maximizing the chances […]

France Iran

MENASource

Oct 17, 2017

Intra-Kurdish division and Abadi’s options

By Harith Hasan

In the wake of the September 25 referendum in Kurdistan, the Iraqi government announced on October 15 that it began a military deployment to reestablish authority in Kirkuk in coordination with the Peshmerga. It soon became clear that the Peshmerga mentioned belonged to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)—specifically, the Talabani family wing—which views aggressive […]

Iraq

MENASource

Oct 17, 2017

Post referendum hangovers: The local aspects

By Sardar Aziz

As Tip O’Neill coined it, “all politics is local.” Accordingly, the local dimension of the Kurdistan referendum is a core aspect, but underplayed as the news focuses on regional and international repercussions. The internal political moves that led up to the referendum and the referendum’s results will define KRG politics in the near future, but […]

Iraq

MENASource

Oct 16, 2017

The UK’s balancing act between security, financial interest, and human rights

By Dalia Rabie

The United Kingdom has long employed a carrot and stick technique when dealing with Egypt, threatening to suspend aid and economic or military dealings in response to the country’s deteriorating human rights situation. However, such ultimatums are often fleeting, as the UK government places its own short-term interests over improvements in Egypt’s human rights record. […]

North Africa United Kingdom

MENASource

Oct 12, 2017

Women’s rights in Morocco: Balancing domestic and international law

By Leila Hanafi and Danielle Hites

Despite Morocco’s many legal advances in women’s rights, its lack of effective implementation and the existence of legislative loopholes undermines its reputation as an open, tolerant, and progressive country. In recent months, Morocco’s human rights record has come under the scrutiny of international organizations, notably the UN Human Rights Council latest UPR. Morocco’s questionable human […]

Human Rights Morocco

MENASource

Oct 11, 2017

Behind the US-Turkey visa row

By Adham Sahloul

On Sunday, the Trump Administration suspended non-immigrant visas for Turkish citizens. Students, patients seeking American medical treatment, tourists, and business travelers from Turkey will be denied entry until further notice. A previous argument indicated that US President Donald Trump is closing America’s doors to the world—be it with travel bans for mostly Muslim-majority countries, a […]

Turkey

MENASource

Oct 11, 2017

The limits of democratization in Morocco

By Dr. Nabeel Khoury

The demonstrations, police repression, and continued violence in al-Hoceima in the northern Rif region of Morocco bring back not only the rebellious past of that region, but also memories among Moroccans of Hassan II’s repression—the so-called years of lead. The events also bring the country full circle back to the beginning of the Arab uprising […]

Democratic Transitions Morocco

MENASource

Oct 6, 2017

A difficult life in Mosul Post-ISIS

By Mustafa Habib

When the extremist group known as the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) was expelled from the northern city of Mosul, locals there were happy. But now, not so much, says Qassim Badran, a former employee of the local power department. The government stopped paying his salary back in 2014 when the Islamic State, or IS, […]

Iraq Terrorism

MENASource

Oct 4, 2017

A way forward for devolving local power in Libya?

By Elissa Miller and Andrea Taylor

Despite the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) in Skhirat in 2015, the political situation in Libya appears no closer to being resolved. Indeed, there is now a widening consensus within Libya and among concerned states that the LPA must be amended. Over the last two years, cleavages within Libya deepened amid exacerbating interference […]

Democratic Transitions Libya
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