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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Top News: Libyan Special Forces Commander Says His Forces Join Renegade General

MENASource
Jan 14, 2026

Voices from Iran: As rejection of government reaches all-time high, Iranians also wary of foreign intervention

If Trump is serious about peace, stability, and a lasting legacy, the path forward does not run through air strikes or transactional deals with a failing theocracy.

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Top News: Libyan Special Forces Commander Says His Forces Join Renegade General

MENASource
Jan 28, 2026

Trump’s National Security Strategy doesn’t downgrade the Middle East, it redefines it

By
Kristian Alexander

Trump’s strategy is a sophisticated refinement of “America First.” For the Gulf, the implications are significant, but manageable.

Middle East
National Security

Top News: Libyan Special Forces Commander Says His Forces Join Renegade General

MENASource
Jan 13, 2026

Eight questions (and expert answers) on the SDF’s withdrawal from Syria’s Aleppo

By
Atlantic Council experts

Our experts unpack why violence erupted, what it means for Kurdish safety and integration in Syria, and how Washington is engaging.

Civil Society
Conflict

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Content

MENASource

May 20, 2014

Top News: Libyan Special Forces Commander Says His Forces Join Renegade General

By MENASource

The Saiqa Special Forces in Benghazi has allied itself with retired General Khalifa Haftar in his campaign against militant Islamists. Citing the failure of the central government in Tripoli to assert its authority and the suffering members of his brigade have suffered at the hands of Islamists, Commander Wanis Bukhamada announced his forces will join […]

MENASource

May 20, 2014

Libya: Beyond the Islamist vs. non-Islamist Divide

By Karim Mezran

Over the weekend, Libya experienced some of the worst violence since the 2011 uprising. Headlines about inter-militia clashes, evacuating families, and a mounting death toll do little to paint a clear picture of the dynamics at play.

Libya

MENASource

May 19, 2014

Short-Term Stability in Sinai Will Exacerbate Tensions for Egypt’s Next President

By Zack Gold

The Egyptian governorate of North Sinai is a volatile region in which and from which violent actors have lashed out at the country’s military and security forces since even before the 2011 fall of Hosni Mubarak. From the summer of 2011, the Egyptian armed forces and police have worked to reestablish stability in the Sinai […]

Elections North Africa

MENASource

May 19, 2014

Drone Strike Success in Yemen May Actually Be Failure

By Danya Greenfield and Adam Simpson

On May 9, the Obama administration extended Yemen’s national emergency status-declaring “certain members of the Government of Yemen and others” an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” This statement and the recent spate of US drone strikes in Yemen should prompt some questioning about deteriorating security […]

Yemen

MENASource

May 19, 2014

Top News: Egyptian Courts Jail more than 160 Brotherhood Supporters

By EgyptSource

A pair of Egyptian courts on Sunday convicted 170 suspected supporters of toppled President Mohammed Morsi on charges related to violent attacks last year.

MENASource

May 19, 2014

Top News: Libya’s Army Orders Islamist-Led Militias to Capital After Storming of GNC

By MENASource

Libya’s army chief has ordered the deployment of Islamist-led militias to the capital, a day after the storming of the General National Congress (GNC) building by a renegade general’s troops. This development paves the way for a possible showdown between the militias, which hail from Libya’s western and central regions, and the anti-Islamist troops allied […]

MENASource

May 19, 2014

The Week in Egypt – May 19, 2014

By Daniel Stoker

Catch up on the latest out of Egypt every week, with analysis, news updates, photos, videos, and more.

MENASource

May 19, 2014

Party Positions on Presidential Elections: Inside the Decision-Making Process

By Sarah El Sirgany

Political parties in Egypt have three choices for this year’s presidential elections: supporting former defense minister Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, or boycotting. It is a simple task that does not require the scrutinizing of multiple electoral programs for their compatibility with party agendas—so simple that it was put to […]

Elections North Africa

MENASource

May 16, 2014

Top News: UN says Humanitarian Situation Deteriorating in Yemen

By MENASource

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Thursday that half of the population of Yemen needs assistance. OCHA’s head, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, said at a press conference, “In Yemen, there are one million acutely malnourished children. It is the highest number after Afghanistan.” He continued by saying that 1.33 million people have […]

MENASource

May 16, 2014

Top News: Three Lawyers Defending AJE Journalists Quit Case in Protest

By EgyptSource

Three lawyers representing Al Jazeera English journalists currently on trial for terrorism-related charges suddenly stepped down on Thursday, accusing the Qatar-based satellite network of twisting the facts of the case to its own ends without regard for the defendants.

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