Middle East

In the Pursuit of Personal Space

By Mohammad Tolba

Having lived in a densely populated nation for decades, Egyptians seem to have come to terms with congestion and overcrowding. This has led to a lack respect for personal space; that physical space no one should dare enter. In Egypt, bold examples of this exist – from the microbus driver, who insists on cramming four […]

Syria: Surefire Alternatives To Failure?

By Frederic C. Hof

In a recent (February 19, 2014) editorial, The New York Times channeled Obama administration thinking on Syria’s war and peace dichotomy. “But, so far, no one has come up with surefire remedies or even new ideas that would not draw the United States into a war … Mr. Obama has resisted being pushed into a […]

Working Group on Deterring a Nuclear-Armed Iran

Despite the interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear program in November 2013, Iran’s nuclear program remains perhaps the greatest emerging challenge to US national and regional security interests. US President Barack Obama has made it abundantly clear that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable and that the administration is prepared to do whatever it takes to […]

To Confront Yemen’s Security Dilemmas, Start With Security Forces

By Adam Simpson

Despite the conclusion of Yemen’s National Dialogue, violence continues to plague the country, most notably with clashes between tribesman and separatists pressing for greater autonomy and government forces that have lost their confidence.

Egypt’s labor dilemma

By Mustansir Barma

“Bread, freedom, and social justice,” is the familiar  slogan chanted across the Middle East and North  Africa since the Arab uprisings erupted in December  2010. Labor issues fit into this trifecta: bread is a symbol of earning a decent living, freedom is tied to  worker rights such as assembly and industrial action,  and social justice […]