Content

MENASource

May 20, 2015

Libya: Is there Really an Alternative to Dialogue?

By Mohamed Eljarh

Libya continues to suffer the consequences from the ongoing political and armed struggle between various Libyan factions. The rise of the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) has further complicated matters—as has the reluctance of the international community to act assertively against other spoilers of the democratic process, contributing to Libya’s downward spiral into civil war […]

Libya

New Atlanticist

May 11, 2015

Is this the Solution to Europe’s Migrant Problem?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

EU plan to bomb traffickers’ ships in Libyan waters ‘counterproductive,’ says Atlantic Council’s Mezran The European Union wants the United Nations to support its plan to destroy human traffickers’ ships in Libyan territorial waters before smugglers use them to ferry migrants across the Mediterranean Sea. Can it work? No, said Karim Mezran, Resident Senior Fellow […]

Europe & Eurasia
European Union

New Atlanticist

Apr 27, 2015

Dying to Get to Europe

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Libya’s ‘slave trade’—exodus of migrants from Africa—is a European crisis, says Atlantic Council’s Mezran A European commitment to save lives is “backfiring” as human traffickers continue to pack boats full of migrants fleeing desperate situations in Africa and the Middle East, says Atlantic Council analyst Karim Mezran. Traffickers have exploited instability in Libya to funnel […]

European Union
International Organizations
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, April 23, 2015

NATOSource

Apr 27, 2015

A Challenge in the South for NATO

By Jim Hoagland, Washington Post

[T]he turmoil sweeping the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean today threatens to transform Europe’s strategic outlook on security matters.

France
Italy

In the News

Apr 23, 2015

Eljarh: The View From Libya, Ground Zero in the Migrant Crisis

By Mohamed Eljarh

Rafik Hariri Center Nonresident Fellow Mohamed Eljarh writes for Foreign Policy on the human trafficking crisis in Libya that led to the deadliest tragedy ever in the Mediterranean when more than eight hundred migrants headed for Europe died in a single incident last week:

Libya

MENASource

Apr 16, 2015

Washington Should Demand Accountability from Libya’s Beleaguered Parliament

By Asma Yousef Magariaf

With seven months left in its mandate, Libya’s House of Representatives (House) in Tobruk has sent a high-level delegation to Washington this week. Critics of the House continue to demand greater accountability from Libya’s parliament amid mounting concerns of incompetence and corruption as Libya faces a growing threat from the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) […]

Libya

MENASource

Apr 14, 2015

The UNSMIL Draft Agreement and International Engagement with Libya

By Azza K. Maghur

Since UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon nominated Mr. Bernardino Leon as the UN Special Representative and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in August 2014, stagnant Libyan waters have moved.

Libya

MENASource

Apr 7, 2015

War in Yemen Could Mean Peace in Libya

By Karim Mezran

With the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) wreaking havoc in the Levant, Syria reeling from a devastating civil war, and a political crisis in Libya devolving into an entrenched armed conflict, ultimately it was the Houthi takeover in Yemen that galvanized a pan-Arab coalition and military intervention.

Libya
North Africa

MENASource

Apr 6, 2015

Four Paths for Libya’s Future

By Hafed Al Ghwell

UN Special Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon is still trying to herd the scattered Libyan cats of all political shades around the table in Morocco. Leon hopes to negotiate a peace treaty of sorts, put an end to the fighting, and establish a unity government that can keep the country together and enable it to […]

Libya

In the News

Apr 3, 2015

Mezran: Solving Libya’s ISIS Problem

By Karim Mezran

Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Karim Mezran cowrites for the New York Times on ISIS in Libya and the UN Security Council’s vote to extend the fight against ISIS to Libya:

Libya

Experts