MENASource

Syria: Losing The Narrative

By Frederic C. Hof

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on July 17, 2013, I was struck by the relatively large number of members, Republicans and Democrats alike, who volunteered variations on the following theme: "Every time the United States sticks its nose into the Middle East it gets bloodied; the battle in Syria is between a brutal […]

Key Positions in Beblawi’s Interim Government

By Amira Mikhail

Egypt’s interim cabinet was sworn in on Tuesday, July 16. There are three women in the interim cabinet of thirty-four ministries, one of whom is Christian. Two other ministers are Christian, while most notably, no Islamists were included in the lineup. While the Salafi Nour Party was offered a few posts, it announced that it […]

Point/Counterpoint: On the Question of US Aid, Who Gains the Most?

By Mahmoud Salem and Tarek Radwan

On the question of US aid to Egypt, who stands to gain the most – the United States or Egypt? Tarek Radwan, associate director at the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, and Mahmoud Salem, an Egyptian blogger and activist, share their points of view. 

Top News: United States Suggests Egyptian Military May Have Averted Civil War

Egypt may have avoided a civil war this month, United States Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday, saying this was one factor to weigh as Washington decides whether to cut off most US aid to the Arab nation. Kerry repeated the US position that it has not yet made any decision, saying it would take […]

Top News: Libya Minority Groups Say Will Boycott Constitution Vote

Three Libyan ethnic minorities announced on Wednesday they would boycott an election of a committee to draft a new constitution, the first blow to a democratic process supposed to decide what political system the country will adopt.

The GCC’s Non-Strategy in Syria

By Faysal Itani

In response to Hezbollah’s deepening role in the Syrian civil war, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) pledged in June to target Hezbollah loyalists and their financial and commercial interests in the Gulf. Presumably, the GCC action, which will overwhelmingly affect Hezbollah’s Lebanese Shia support base, aims to convince them that its behavior in Syria is […]

With Morsi Out, Uphill Battle for Independent Media Intensifies

By Miriam Berger

In the flash of a commercial break, the Egyptian military’s massacre of over fifty pro-Muslim Brotherhood  protestors at the Republican Guard headquarters on July 8 turned into a zealously polarized media affair. It was the latest in a series of reminders that—despite the newest round of political reshufflings—there is still little space for independent media […]

Top News: Presidency Calls on Brotherhood to Take Part in Reconciliation, Morsi Remains Detained

Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour met with the newly-formed cabinet on Tuesday evening after the ministers were sworn in. The meeting’s goal is to discuss the president’s assignments to the cabinet, the state-owned news agency MENA reported. Egypt’s new interim cabinet brings in a number of prominent figures from the country’s liberal and secular factions into top positions, particularly […]