Category: Blogs

Lessons (Not) Learned from the Caucasus

By Sabine Freizer

The situation in Turkey today could be much less polarized, without such strong anger and distrust of the police, if a key lesson learned in the South Caucasus had been applied in Taksim Square: governments should engage non-violent protestors and allow demonstrations to fizzle out gradually.The indiscriminate and violent police reaction in Turkey did the […]

Top News: Egyptian Army Steps in to Demand Political Truce

Egypt’s army stepped in to a deepening political crisis on Sunday to demand that the Islamist government and its opponents settle their differences and warned that it would act to stop violence spinning out of control.

Top News: Army Ready To Save Nation From ‘Dark Tunnel,’ Defense Minister

Egypt’s army issued a sharp warning to rival political factions on Sunday that it would not stand by if opposition rallies next weekend descend into conflict and it urged politicians to forge consensus. In a statement, the head of the armed forces, Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he would not allow an "attack on the will of […]

Security in Libya Becomes a Political Bargaining Chip

By Mohamed Eljarh

After nearly two years since the fall of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime in 2011, the unstable security situation has become a political bargaining chip in a wider struggle for power in post-revolution Libya.  Libya’s Army Chief Youssef al-Mangoush resigned a day after deadly clashes between anti-militia protesters and a government-sanctioned militia, one that nominally fell under […]

This Week in Egypt – June 21, 2013

By Amira Mikhail

Catch up on the latest out of Egypt every week, with analysis, news updates, photos, videos, and more. Quotes of the Week "The new NGO draft law will close the door to Europeans and Americans who want to spread immorality in Egyptian society. NGOs that aim to play in politics or that want to promote […]

Tamarod: A First Hand Account

By Amira Mikhail

It was the first time on the streets that I was not met with aggression as I roamed around gathering signatures for Tamarod. I usually experienced distrustful glares or comments, angry remarks expressing how I was destroying the country or vows that I was not Egyptian and had no right to be on the streets […]

Turkey: Calm Returns – but Calm Before What?

By Ross Wilson

Tomorrow’s headlines could be different, but Istanbul seems to calming after the protests and violence that have wracked the city since late May.  Looking back, what took place is significant and in many respects unprecedented. 

US Secretly Providing Heavy Weapons Training for Syrian Rebels

By David S. Cloud and Raja Abdulrahim, Los Angeles Times

Top News: Thousands Rally for ‘Legitimate’ Morsi in ‘No to Violence’ Rally in Cairo

 Thousands of Islamist supporters of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi gathered in Cairo after Friday prayers to show support for the elected head of state ahead of protests his opponents hope can force him from office. The pro-Morsi rallies, which were organized under the banner of ‘denouncing violence,’ come ahead of planned anti-Morsi protests on June 30. […]