Middle East

Three Steps to Pull Libya Out of its Crisis

By Karim Mezran

If recent days’ events are any indication, Libya is rapidly descending into chaos. The latest clashes began with the attack on the main international airport in Tripoli, with rival militias pitted against one another in an armed struggle, fomenting anarchy and bringing the country to the brink of civil war.

International Statements about Egypt’s Efforts to Secure a Gaza Ceasefire

By EgyptSource

As the deadliest conflict seen in Gaza in the past five years rages on, Egypt has made attempts to resume its role as mediator between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. A ceasefire proposal was announced on July 14, which was consequently accepted by Israel but rejected by Hamas. While the Egyptian initiative has received international […]

The Struggle for Public Space in Egypt

While many hoped that the public space in Egypt for non-state sectors, such as political parties, the media, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), would widen following Egypt’s 2011 revolution, such an expansion has yet to materialize. Rather, over three years and two presidents later, Egypt’s political climate remains stifled. On July 22, 2014, The Atlantic Council’s […]

Inside Assad’s Playbook: Time and Terror

By Bassam Barabandi and Tyler Jess Thompson

Early in my career as a Syrian diplomat, I learned to respect the strategic planning of the Assads. One clear memory is from 2007, during a visit from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. I remember sitting behind a two-way mirror in a room adjacent to the banquet hall at the Four Seasons Damascus.