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May 16, 2018

Iraq: The reinvention of Muqtada al-Sadr

By Dr. Nabeel Khoury

Muqtada al-Sadr—often dubbed a firebrand cleric—has come a long way from the days in 2003 when he was an outcast and a hunted man, to the victor in the 2018 Iraqi elections. Early results suggesting a surprising lead for Sadr are a personal vindication for him, certainly, but a challenge for Iraq’s political elite which […]

Democratic Transitions Elections

MENASource

May 11, 2018

Killing the JCPOA: Opportunity missed?

By Frederic C. Hof

As reported previously by this writer, senior Iranian former officials repeatedly told him and other Americans in unofficial, track II discussions preceding the nuclear deal, that Iran had no intention of weaponizing nuclear energy. The reason offered had nothing to do with Koranic proscriptions. To paraphrase one of the Iranian ex-officials, “Look at all we […]

Crisis Management Iran

MENASource

May 9, 2018

A renewed opportunity for a US role in Iraq

By Akeel Abbas

The upcoming Iraqi parliamentary election slated for May 12 is significant for many reasons, most notable are the changes to Iraq’s traditional electoral lists. Although these lists are still largely composed along ethno-sectarian lines—whether Shia, Sunni, or Kurdish—differences over policies figure more prominently, with a shift away from an exclusive focus on identity present in […]

Iraq

MENASource

May 9, 2018

What can we expect of Iraq’s parliamentary elections?

By MENASource

Iraqis will go to the polls for the first time in four years on May 12. The vote will determine Iraq’s next prime minister at a critical time for the country as it emerges from a three-year war with the Islamic State (ISIS). Will the significant shifts in electoral lists bring about change for the […]

Iraq

MENASource

May 8, 2018

Factbox: Iraq’s 2018 parliamentary elections

By Audrey Bolus and Savannah Carter

Iraqi citizens will vote in their fourth parliamentary election on May 12th, 2018, since the 2003 US invasion to remove Saddam Hussein from power. There is an increase of cross-sectarian and pro-reform parties this election. Experts predict this will prevent a single coalition from winning an outright majority in parliament, and that alliances will likely be formed after […]

Democratic Transitions Elections

MENASource

May 7, 2018

A national conference for Libya’s future

By Karim Mezran & Erin A. Neale

In the ongoing effort by international and domestic actors to solve the political deadlock in Libya, the spotlight is on UN Special Envoy Ghassan Salame. Since the second anniversary of the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) in the Moroccan city of Skhirat in December 2015, Salame’s well-thought and defined Action Plan for Libya […]

International Organizations Libya

MENASource

May 2, 2018

Hopes and challenges as Tunisia goes to the polls

By Elissa Miller

Tunisians will go to the polls to vote in the country’s first municipal elections on May 6. The vote is an important milestone in the country’s democratic transition and decentralization process; which aims to bridge the gap between the central government in Tunis and the Tunisian people. Since Tunisia’s constitution was passed in 2014, municipal […]

Democratic Transitions Elections

MENASource

May 1, 2018

The problem with humanitarian assistance in Yemen

By Afrah Nasser

An international fundraising conference for Yemen took place at the United Nations (UN) offices Geneva in early April. Co-chaired by Sweden, Switzerland, and the UN, the conference succeeded in securing humanitarian funding worth over $2 billion, doubling the previous year’s pledges of $1.1 billion. Despite optimism that the donations represent a “success of international solidarity […]

International Organizations

MENASource

Apr 25, 2018

An advance look at Iraq’s 2018 elections

By Rend Al-Rahim

Iraq’s 2018 parliamentary elections, simultaneously embodying continuity and change, will be held in a particularly divisive atmosphere. The elections are taking place in the shadow of the devastation left behind by the conflict with ISIS and serious splits within the governing Shia party. As a result, voting on May 12 will be a litmus test […]

Democratic Transitions Elections

MENASource

Apr 16, 2018

Can Libya survive without Haftar?

By Elissa Miller & Tarek Radwan

Libya was thrown into further flux this past week amid reports of the death of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. His exact condition remains unclear; Haftar was reportedly hospitalized in Jordan after suffering a stroke before falling into a coma after his transfer to a hospital in France. Other sources reported that eastern strongman passed away […]

Libya