Middle East

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. […]

The Week in Egypt [April 21, 2014]

By Daniel Stoker

Catch up on the latest out of Egypt every week, with analysis, news updates, photos, videos, and more.

A Crash Course in Iraq’s Electoral Politics

By Adam Simpson

On April 30, Iraq will hold parliamentary elections featuring a total of 9,040 candidates from 142 parties, including forty-one blocs and coalitions, all competing for just 328 parliamentary seats. The result of the 2010 parliamentary elections carried Iyad Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc to a narrow electoral victory, but was eventually defeated by a coalition of majority-Shia […]

Sisi, Sabbahi, and the Future of Egypt’s Economy

By Daniel Stoker

At the end of March, Egypt’s high electoral commission  announced the dates of Egypt’s presidential elections. As expected former Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced his candidacy joining long time activist Hamdeen Sabbahi in the race for the presidency. The success of Egypt’s next president will, for the most part, depend on how he addresses […]