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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Colleges Must Find Ways to Serve Students Shut Out by the Ban

MENASource
Mar 26, 2026

As Iran attacks, the US should provide air defense for Iraqi Kurdistan

Washington faces a choice: Continue to defer to Baghdad’s procedural objections while Iran conducts unimpeded strikes on Kurdish territory or acknowledge the strategic reality and take decisive action.

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Colleges Must Find Ways to Serve Students Shut Out by the Ban

MENASource
Mar 17, 2026

A crisis in Egypt could be a warning sign for the global economy 

By
Khalid Azim

Market watchers should keep an eye on Egypt as an oil shock could cause financial turmoil.

Economy & Business
International Financial Institutions

Colleges Must Find Ways to Serve Students Shut Out by the Ban

MENASource
Mar 11, 2026

Three lessons from Libya for the war in Iran

By
Frank Talbot

Any outside power using force to attain a political outcome must define the end state it seeks, align coalition partners around a shared strategy, and establish credible escalation controls.

Conflict
Iran

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Content

MENASource

Jan 30, 2017

Colleges Must Find Ways to Serve Students Shut Out by the Ban

By Jessica Ashooh and Richard LeBaron

Regardless of whether it stands up in court, President Trump’s executive order banning the entry of refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries into the United States has done enormous harm to Muslim students who are studying or aspire to study here. American colleges and universities must react quickly and effectively to limit the damage, which reverberates […]

Middle East

MENASource

Jan 26, 2017

Stability in Europe’s Southern Neighborhood: A Priority for Malta’s EU Presidency

By Matthew Lowell and Frank Talbot

The recent ripples of insecurity across the southern Mediterranean have presented profound challenges for the European Union (EU).  While Libya and Syria continue to experience protracted violence and lawlessness, many other countries in the region face acute economic and social difficulties.

Libya

MENASource

Jan 25, 2017

Why Libya’s Stability Matters to the Region

By Elissa Miller

As it enters its sixth year, the crisis in Libya shows no signs of abating. The UN-backed unity government seems to be teetering on the edge of collapse, and clashes threaten to escalate between eastern and western forces. Withdrawal from Libya could have negative consequences for western interests, and the United States—under the Trump administration—could […]

Libya North Africa

MENASource

Jan 25, 2017

Where Egypt Stands Six Years After January 25

By H.A. Hellyer

As Egypt marks the sixth anniversary of the revolutionary uprising of 2011, it is tempting in many quarters to view the country as having essentially reverted back to what the case was on January 25, 2010. In other words, the last six years never happened, and the political dispensation that underpins the current administration is […]

North Africa

MENASource

Jan 19, 2017

The Reina Nightclub Attack Might Change Turkey-China Relations

By Ivy Yang

The Reina nightclub attack in Istanbul on New Year’s Eve left 39 dead and dozens injured. When he was captured on January 17, Turkish officials said that the main suspect, Abdulkadir Masharipov, is an Uzbek national and a member of the Islamic State. Signs show that he might also be an ethnic Uyghur, and though […]

China Iraq

MENASource

Jan 18, 2017

The War on ISIS Cannot Be Won Militarily Alone

By Mona Alami

The war on the Islamic State (ISIS) has significantly weakened the organization in Iraq and Syria. Yet ISIS can still punch above its weight as demonstrated in the most recent attacks it has claimed. In Turkey, an attack on the Reina nightclub on New Year’s Eve left 39 dead and dozens injured, while the Berlin […]

MENASource

Jan 12, 2017

The Tillerson Hearing: What Was Said about the Middle East

By Elissa Miller and Emily Burchfield

On January 11, President Elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, participated in a marathon nine-hour confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee members pressed the former ExxonMobil CEO on a host of issues, including his reported ties to Russia and his views on extremism.

Syria Turkey

MENASource

Jan 10, 2017

Press Law in Egypt Diminishes Hopes for Independent Media

By Khaled Dawoud

Shortly after unprecedented jail terms were issued against leading members of Egypt’s Press Syndicate, President AbdelFattah al-Sisi approved a new press law, sparking further concern over the future of a relatively independent media in the country.

North Africa

MENASource

Jan 4, 2017

The Case for Wider US Engagement in Libya

By Karim Mezran

As the situation on the ground in Libya continues to deteriorate, many fear a complete descent into chaos. The successful operation against the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in Sirte—formally conducted under the authority of the UN-sponsored and Tripoli-based Government of National Agreement (GNA)—but largely dominated by the Misrata militias, put the latter in close […]

Libya

MENASource

Dec 19, 2016

Assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Could Create Fallout for Washington

By MENASource

At an art exhibition opening on Monday evening, right across the street from the US embassy in Ankara, an assassin shot dead Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov. The shooter, identified as 22-year-old Mevlüt Mert Altinas, was a Turkish policeman according to statements made by the mayor of Ankara. 

Russia Turkey
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