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MENASource

Nov 30, 2017

Yemen: National reconciliation without foreign intervention

By Nabeel Khoury

It has become blatantly obvious that the Yemen tragedy will not end unless Riyadh decides to unilaterally cease fire and call for a peace roundtable, preferably in a neutral location such as Muscat or even Geneva. Washington could be a catalyst by prodding Saudi Arabia to put diplomacy first and becoming fully engaged in the […]

Yemen

MENASource

Nov 30, 2017

The precarious Kurdish-Israeli relationship, post-Kirkuk

By Caroline Rose

With the Iraqi flag now flying above Kirkurk’s oil fields, a major pivot in the Kurdish-Israeli relationship threatens to isolate the KRG from its limited alliance system. In just four days, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) lost nearly all territory gained by Kurdish Peshmerga 2014 forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) […]

Iraq

MENASource

Nov 29, 2017

The Re-emergence of Jund al-Islam: A new chapter in the conflict between al-Qaeda and ISIS

By Ahmed Salem

After a more than four-year absence, Jund al-Islam (JAI) has returned to the forefront in Sinai, marking a new chapter in the fierce conflict between al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (Daesh, ISIL, ISIS). The group published an audio recording in which it took credit for an attack targeting ISIS affiliates in Sinai known as Wilayat […]

North Africa Terrorism

MENASource

Nov 29, 2017

Protecting civilians: A humanitarian responsibility and necessity for ending Yemen’s war

By Jillian Schwedler

To say that Yemen is facing a humanitarian crisis is an understatement. Numerous agencies are struggling to provide aid to a population in desperate need, but aid can only be as effective as the willingness to protect Yemen’s civilian population. That willingness has been lacking on all sides of this multi-sided war. Without civilian protection, […]

Yemen

MENASource

Nov 28, 2017

Factbox: The Western Sahara and its path towards a referendum

By Mariam Elatouabi

What is the history of the Western Sahara and what is its relationship with Morocco? How close is it really to a referendum?

Morocco North & West Africa

MENASource

Nov 27, 2017

Out of the streets and into the boats: Tunisia’s irregular migration surge

By Matt Herbert and Max Gallien

Normally, the beaches of southern Tunisia are quiet in November. It is the start of the lean months, when few tourists arrive and the jobs which depend on them vanish. This year is different. Tunisia’s beaches have a new customer: Tunisians trying to go to Europe Between October 1st and November 8th, more Tunisians took […]

Migration North Africa

MENASource

Nov 16, 2017

Budget politics and Baghdad-Kurdish relations

By Harith Hasan

One of the main disputes behind tensions between the Iraqi federal government and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) includes disagreement over budget allocation. This month, the Iraqi government approved the proposed budget for 2018 and sent it to the parliament for debate in the coming weeks. The draft budget, strongly criticized by the KRG, is the […]

Iraq

MENASource

Nov 15, 2017

Western foreign policy and the dignity of the Arab world: Interview with Dr. H.A. Hellyer

By MENASource

Following a recent controversy where a British journalist at a conference in Egypt casually implied that the peoples of the Arab world were more culturally inured towards restrictions on press freedom, we discussed the issue of democracy and Arab culture with Atlantic Council’s senior non-resident fellow, Dr. H.A. Hellyer. “That journalist asserted that people shouldn’t […]

Middle East

MENASource

Nov 8, 2017

The Gulf crisis threatens Tunisia’s stability

By Youssef Cherif

Qatar is one of Tunisia’s most important trade partners. It has invested, loaned, or assisted Tunisia with more than 1.5 billion USD since 2011, and has directed its media, think-tanks, and PR empire to acclaim the country’s transition to democracy. Thousands of Tunisians work in Qatar, and the current Gulf crisis has allowed a number […]

Democratic Transitions North Africa

MENASource

Nov 8, 2017

Factbox: Saudi’s Night of Long Knives

By Caroline Lord

Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) made headlines again as Saudi announced the arrest of eleven high ranking princes and ministers. The announcement, made via the Saudi-owned Arabic-language broadcaster Al Arabiya, sent shock waves throughout Saudi and the financial world. The removal of princes and ministers is part of an […]

Corruption Political Reform