Middle East

Hunger Strikes: Egypt’s Last Vestige of Dissent

By Khaled Dawoud

After a midnight visit to his father, lying in critical condition at hospital, well-known jailed activist, Alaa Abdel-Fattah announced on August 19 his hunger strike, bringing attention to his demand for release while on trial over charges of organizing an unauthorized protest. His decision renewed a relatively stalled effort calling for the release of dozens […]

Syria: Waiting For Washington’s Reply

By Frederic C. Hof

As President Barack Obama and his key advisors calculate how best to make life difficult for the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Syria, one thing is abundantly clear from the president’s words: US collaboration with the Assad regime is beyond the pale.

A Friend of my Father: Iran’s Manipulation of Bashar al-Assad

By Bassam Barabandi and Tyler Jess Thompson

In March 2011, just a few days after the uprisings began in Syria, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, made an unannounced visit to Damascus. He came with a clear message: Do not give in to the Arab Spring in Syria.

Podcast: How do Reported Strikes on Libya Impact US-Egypt Relations?

With reports emerging on a possible airstrike carried out by the UAE and Egypt on Islamist positions inside the Libyan border, the story remains murky. The United States has issued contradictory statements in response to the reports, and it remains unclear whether or not the airstrikes were carried out without its prior knowledge.

Podcast: Experts React to Airstrikes in Libya

In the wake of conflicting messages from the United States on reports that the United Arab Emirates and Egypt struck Islamist positions in Libya, MENASource spoke with three Atlantic Council experts to get their reactions to this news.