Middle East

Libya’s Faltering Political Process

By Duncan Pickard and Karim Mezran

The transition to democracy in Libya always has been a tenuous affair, but with the start of constitution drafting, the process as imagined is falling apart. The lack of national political leadership, security infrastructure, and public credibility in the state form a vicious circle. Nonetheless, opportunities to move the transition forward exists if the political […]

Turkish-Iranian Rapprochement and the Future of European and Asian Energy

By Pinar Dost and Orhan Taner

In a new issue brief, “Turkish-Iranian Rapprochement and the Future of European and Asian Energy,” Pinar Dost-Niyego and Orhan Taner of the Atlantic Council’s Turkey office outline how Turkey and Iran’s developing relationship is a key consideration in analyses of European and Asian energy security. They argue Turkish-Iranian relations, in which energy plays an important […]

#AJTrial: Inside the Courtroom

By EgyptSource

On April 22, Cairo’s Criminal Court adjourned the trial of 20 journalists – among them Al Jazeera’s Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy, and Baher Mohamed – on charges of aiding a terrorist group. The trial has been adjourned to May 3. 

Shorouk Publishes Details of Sabbahi’s Electoral Platform

By EgyptSource

On Sunday the Egyptian Presidential Elections Committee cleared presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi to participate in Egypt’s upcoming presidential elections. The Nasserist politician who has a strong following amongst the youth and left finished third in the 2012 presidential elections just missing a run-off. Since officially announcing his candidacy earlier this year, Sabbahi has not spoken […]

Working Group on a New US Defense Strategy and Posture in the Gulf

For more than four decades, the United States has had a robust web of partnerships with the states comprising the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This system has helped to achieve common strategic goals, including securing the free and constant flow of oil from the region to the world at large; preventing the rise of a […]

A Cry for Rationality

By Amr Hamzawy

A bloody clash between two tribes in Aswan recently claimed more than twenty lives and left many wounded. On top of the current political struggle, the violations of rights and freedoms, and the danger of terrorism and violence, the blood spilled in the south is a harsh reminder that we do not live in a […]

Assad’s Survival Need Not Be Inevitable

By Oubai Shahbandar

Bashar al-Assad recently announced that his regime is holding an “election” in Syria on June 3. The Syrian Opposition Coalition has responded that this latest move by the regime represents a clear decision by Assad to once and for all forgo any illusion that he is willing to pursue a political solution to the conflict. […]