Middle East

Egypt’s New Government and the Workers

By Tom Rollins

Last week Egypt’s new Prime Minister, Ibrahim Mehleb, announced he was banning bottled water in government buildings.  “This step comes from my eagerness to cut spending and share the lifestyle of ordinary people,” Mehleb was cited as telling reporters. On social media, reactions fluctuated between nods of approval and criticism of a “silly PR move” […]

Russia is Playing a Weak Hand Very Strongly

A regular contributor to CNN.com, Ambassador-in-Residence Michael Oren writes that in both Syria and Iran, Russia has played its relatively weak strategic hand exceedingly well and is threatening to outmaneuver the United States in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the United States has paused its effots to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace in order to generate pressure on […]

Iran Working Group Examines Financial and Cyber Deterrence

Despite the interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear program in November 2013, Iran’s nuclear program remains is arguably one of the greatest emerging challenges to US national and regional security interests. US President Barack Obama has reiterated that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable and that the administration is prepared to take all necessary measures to […]

It’s Not Too Late For Libya

By Danya Greenfield

Secretary John Kerry’s attendance at the Rome Ministerial Conference on Libya last Thursday is a positive—and much-needed—signal of renewed US attention to that troubled country.

Shuffling Cabinets: Reproducing Authoritarian Traditions

By Amr Hamzawy

As Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb’s new cabinet is a few days into its role, it is clear that no explanation will be offered by officials, whether from the interim president, the prime minister, or others, for the former cabinet’s resignation. This, together with media coverage of the resignation, has been reminiscent of a pre-January 2011 […]

YemenSource | Constitution Drafting Committee Established

By YemenSource

On Sunday, President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi established the long-awaited committee mandated to draft the country’s new constitution.

Egypt’s Presidential Elections Law: A Breakdown

By Mai El Sadany

Bringing Egypt one step closer to achieving its transitional roadmap, on March 8, 2014, the Presidency issued the final version of its Presidential Elections Law. Although a date for the elections has not yet been set, the law clarifies a number of important requirements and guidelines for presidential candidates, as well as the nomination and […]

US Needs New Strategy for Syria

By Barbara Slavin

 Reports that UN special envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, is considering resigning should not surprise anyone. Two rounds of “peace talks” in Geneva between the Syrian regime and émigré opposition figures produced no progress toward a political solution of the conflict, which this month marks a third grim anniversary.