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MENASource

Jun 15, 2021

What does the Arab Street think of China and Russia? The answers may surprise you.

By Li-Chen Sim and Lucille Greer

Are perceptions about China and Russia shared by MENA elites and the public? Building on previous posts that analyzed MENA’s interests in engaging these states, we answer these questions by examining polling data across MENA and within particular states.

China Middle East

MENASource

Jun 14, 2021

Narcos: Syria edition—and what the US can do about it

By Ian Larson

Little-consumed outside the Middle East, captagon—also known as the “poor man’s cocaine”—has proliferated, owing to an industrial boom centered predominantly in war-torn Syria, where the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad now relies on narcotics as a financial lifeline.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

GeoTech Cues

Jun 11, 2021

Can AgriTech entrepreneurs save the Middle East’s food supply?

By Hezha Barzani and Matthew Goodman

On June 9, the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center and empowerME Initiative hosted a private, on-the-record roundtable. Read the key takeaways.

Energy & Environment Energy Transitions

MENASource

Jun 10, 2021

Parliamentary elections won’t rescue Algeria from its legitimacy problem

By Andrew Farrand

Arriving on the heels of two years of overt popular contestation, Algeria’s June 12 parliamentary elections will not suffice to resolve the country’s deep political impasse.

Elections Middle East

MENASource

Jun 8, 2021

Five years of Russian aid in Syria proves Moscow is an unreliable partner

By Jonathan Robinson

After Russia’s first year in Syria, Russia became even more explicit with its intentions about the use of humanitarian aid. In other words, humanitarian aid had become a key soft power instrument.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Jun 4, 2021

Libya’s fragile ceasefire: A lost opportunity?

By Wolfgang Pusztai

On April 16, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2570, approving arrangements for a ceasefire monitoring mechanism and the deployment of UN monitors. But will a sixty-person team be sufficient to prevent the renewed outbreak of hostilities in this deeply split country?

Libya Middle East

MENASource

Jun 3, 2021

Algeria’s parliamentary elections: A bumpy road ahead

By Abdelkader Abderrahmane

While the coronavirus pandemic put on hold the Hirak movement, its resumption in February this year indicates that many Algerians have not renounced challenging the Algerian government.

Elections Middle East

MENASource

Jun 2, 2021

Experts React: Israel might have a new government. What’s next?

By Atlantic Council

Atlantic Council experts react to the news of Israel's new government and assess the significance of the coalition's push to oust Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.

Democratic Transitions Israel

MENASource

Jun 2, 2021

Egypt has a water problem—and no, it’s not only the GERD

By Yaniv Cohen

The Nile River, a once seemingly unending water resource serving Egypt as a dependable and mighty lifeline for millennia, now barely reaches the Mediterranean Sea.

Energy & Environment Middle East

MENASource

Jun 1, 2021

Egypt recalibrated its strategy in Libya because of Turkey

By Alessia Melcangi

It is evident that the strategic pivots of Egyptian leadership in Libya are adapting and evolving in concordance with developments on the ground and keeping in mind wider regional implications—particularly its relations with Turkey.

Libya Middle East