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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Mezran and Pickard on Libya’s Constitution-Making Process

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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Mezran and Pickard on Libya’s Constitution-Making Process

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

Mezran and Pickard on Libya’s Constitution-Making Process

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

Jan 22, 2014

Mezran and Pickard on Libya’s Constitution-Making Process

By MENASource

Libya’s future as a democracy hinges on the constitution-drafting process and the ability of the constituent assembly to consider and adequately address major political and security challenges. The Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center released an issue brief today, titled “Negotiating Libya’s Constitution,” authored by senior fellow Karim Mezran and nonresident fellow Duncan Pickard. The brief details […]

Libya

MENASource

Jan 22, 2014

Syria: Is there a Constructive Role for Iran?

By Frederic C. Hof

The recent furor over the aborted United Nations invitation of Iran to the Geneva 2 conference on Syria, convening today in Montreux, Switzerland, provided a comic opera distraction from a central reality: the role of Iran in the survival of Syria’s Assad regime is absolutely vital.

Syria

MENASource

Jan 22, 2014

Syria Needs a Truce Before Talks About its Future Can Begin

By Frederic C. Hof

Syria’s 23 million people have little to gain from the talks that are scheduled to begin in Switzerland on Wednesday. Until the Assad regime agrees to unimpeded access for UN humanitarian aid workers, there will be no basis for dialogue and compromise.

Syria

MENASource

Jan 21, 2014

The Simple Legislative Solution: Presidential Elections First

By Hafsa Halawa

On Sunday evening, interim President Adly Mansour formally ratified Egypt’s second constitution in the transitional period that has followed the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. Debate is now rife over which elections the interim president will determine should be held first. However, the answer seems simple: presidential elections will come first. Why? Because […]

Elections
North Africa

MENASource

Jan 21, 2014

Top New: Egypt Charges Secularists Alongside Morsi in New Case

By EgyptSource

Deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi was on Sunday ordered to stand trial for insulting the judiciary, legal sources said, alongside twenty-four others including liberal activists who opposed his Islamist rule but have also been critical of the new army-backed order.

MENASource

Jan 21, 2014

Reflections on a Referendum

By Tarek Radwan and Lara Talverdian

As Egyptians took to the polls for their third constitutional referendum in three years, many observers have questioned the legitimacy and inclusiveness in the repressive context gripping Egypt’s politics today. The atmosphere in Egypt during this period was nothing short of passive intimidation. Soldiers, police, and in some instances intelligence personnel patrolled the polling centers. […]

North Africa
Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 21, 2014

Top News: United Nations rescinds last-minute invite to Iran; Russia calls move a “mistake”

By MENASource

The United Nations, under intense pressure from the United States and other countries, withdrew an invitation to Iran to participate in the Geneva II Syria peace conference this week, a diplomatic bungle that muddied international efforts to end the civil war.

MENASource

Jan 21, 2014

EconSource Headlines- January 21, 2014

By EconSource

Follow the latest in economic news and developments about the Arab transition countries. 

MENASource

Jan 18, 2014

Official Results: 98.1 Percent Vote in Favor of Egypt’s New Constitution with 38.6 Percent Voter Turnout

By EgyptSource

Several days after polling stations closed on January 15, the High Elections Commission announced the results of the 2014 constitutional referendum, which took place over a period of two days. On January 18, Nabil Salib, head of the High Elections Commission announced voter turnout, and the number of votes in favor and against the constitution. 

North Africa
Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 17, 2014

Top News: Russia Steps Up Military Lifeline To Assad Regime

By MENASource

In recent weeks Russia has stepped up supplies of military gear to Syria, including armored vehicles, drones, and guided bombs, boosting President Bashar al-Assad just as rebel infighting has weakened the insurgency against him, sources with knowledge of the deliveries say.

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