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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The Ministry of Culture: From the Chicken Coop to the Storage Closet /وزارة الثقافة المصرية: من زمن الحظيرة إلى غرفة الكراكيب

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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The Ministry of Culture: From the Chicken Coop to the Storage Closet /وزارة الثقافة المصرية: من زمن الحظيرة إلى غرفة الكراكيب

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

The Ministry of Culture: From the Chicken Coop to the Storage Closet /وزارة الثقافة المصرية: من زمن الحظيرة إلى غرفة الكراكيب

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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MENASource

Oct 17, 2012

The Ministry of Culture: From the Chicken Coop to the Storage Closet /وزارة الثقافة المصرية: من زمن الحظيرة إلى غرفة الكراكيب

By Ahmed Naje

“The intellectuals have entered the chicken coop.” Former Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny’s iconic words are a fitting description of his Ministry’s role under former President Mubarak, a position Hosny occupied for over 20 years. Download the PDF

MENASource

Oct 17, 2012

Top News: Constituent Assembly to Vote on Final Constitution Draft in November

By Egypt Source

Constituent Assembly head Hossam al-Gheriany said Tuesday that the assembly would vote on the final draft of the constitution in the second week of November, after which it would be put to a public referendum. 

MENASource

Oct 16, 2012

Top News: SCC President: Court’s Status in Draft Constitution ‘A Step Backwards’

By Egypt Source

Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court  rejected its status in the first draft of the new constitution issued last week , at a press conference on Tuesday. Court president Maher al-Beheiry labeled the articles pertaining to the court’s status "a step backwards and a flagrant intervention in the court’s affairs."

MENASource

Oct 16, 2012

Egypt’s Draft Constitution Part 1: State and Society

By Nancy Messieh

The following is Daily News Egypt’s translation of the first part of the draft constitution, featuring articles relating to State and Society. Several articles within this chapter of the draft constitution continue to be a source of conflict or concern.  Salafi forces are already campaigning against the draft constitution, primarily due to their inability to sway the Constituent Assembly […]

MENASource

Oct 16, 2012

Nour Party Dispute Resolved, But New Islamist Parties May Still Benefit / أحزاب إسلامية جديدة تسعي للاستفادة من أزمة حزب النور

By Magdy Samaan

A rift within the Salafi Nour Party over the organization’s leadership has been contained, but the very public dispute has left several unanswered questions about the Islamist movement in its wake. Are the disputes within the Nour Party related to an inability to take a truly democratic approach within the party ranks? And while resolved, […]

MENASource

Oct 16, 2012

Israel, the PA, and the Inevitable Palestinian Spring

By Alex Simon

While domestic and international media are abuzz with talk of upcoming elections in both the United States and Israel, scant attention has been paid to the municipal elections set to take place in the West Bank on October 20. In fact, many Palestinians are themselves unmoved by the prospect of elections, which they view as […]

Israel Middle East

MENASource

Oct 15, 2012

Diplomacy and Security in the Middle East: Finding the Balance Has Never Been Simple

By Richard LeBaron

Amidst the election year political posturing about who knew and said what when in regard to security precautions for our diplomats in Libya, we need to stop, take a deep breath, and figure out what went wrong and why.  And we need to come to grips with the fact that we can mitigate risk to […]

Libya Middle East

MENASource

Oct 15, 2012

Top News: Egypt Prepares Draft Law on ‘Political Thuggery,’ Ahram Says

By Egypt Source

Egypt’s government has drafted a law to combat “political thuggery,” in what it describes as an attempt to “protect the revolution and the society” from criminals and achieve security and stability, state-run Ahram newspaper reported today. 

MENASource

Oct 15, 2012

The Art of Helping Leaders Put Their Shoes On

By Alaa Al Aswany

In 1948 King Farouk was on his way to attend a ceremony marking the start of Ramadan. When the car stopped, the footman sitting next to the driver, tasked with opening the king’s door found that his door handle wasn’t working. He tried to open the door but couldn’t. Several awkward moments had passed since […]

MENASource

Oct 14, 2012

Morsi Overreaches and Flops

By Dalia Rabie

The three-day standoff between General Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud and President Mohamed Morsi can be viewed as another attempt by the latter to flex his muscles and appease revolutionary forces. However, thanks in part to a media uproar, Morsi’s gamble backfired.

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