Middle East

Intelligence Community’s Assessment of Cyber Threats to the US

By Office of the Director of National Intelligence

The following excerpt is from the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, delivered by Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, January 29, 2014.

Cautious Celebration for Yemen’s National Dialogue

By Danya Greenfield

Typical headlines from Yemen usually highlight a recent assassination, damage from a drone strike, or violent tribal feuding, so it’s worth noting the positive milestone in the country’s transition process with the official close of Yemen’s National Dialogue.

Will Decentralization in Yemen Marginalize Citizens?

By Rafat Al-Akhali

With the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) in Yemen concluded on 25 January 2014, the constitution-drafting period will focus on incorporating the outcomes of the NDC discussions into the new national charter. A close examination of the outcomes of the NDC may help address any shortcomings in the NDC agreements during the constitution-drafting process.

Egypt’s Military: Protecting its Sprawling Economic Empire

By Safa Joudeh

With the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces giving the nod of approval for a possible presidential bid by Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, his candidacy is looking more likely by the day. Despite overwhelming popular support of Sisi, in this highly polarized political atmosphere, demobilizing the anti-military component of the Egyptian electorate sets the […]

Can Mehdi Jomaa Fix Tunisia’s Economy?

By Svetlana Milbert

Months of political stalemate finally came to an end as Tunisia’s Islamist-led government resigned transferring power to caretaker Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa.

Syria in The State Of The Union Address

By Frederic C. Hof

In Syria, we’ll support the opposition that rejects the agenda of terrorist networks… American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria’s chemical weapons are being eliminated, and we will continue to work with the international community to usher in the future the Syrian people deserve—a future free of dictatorship, terror and fear.

Making Sense of the Geneva II Syria Peace Talks

Following the rancorous opening of the Geneva II peace talks, and amid competing proposals and counter-proposals by the delegations of the Syrian government and the opposition, the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East convened a panel of experts on January 28, 2014 to parse the talks to date and to forecast possible outcomes. Ambassador […]

US Should Challenge European Allies with ‘Frank Talk’ about Defense

By Clemens Wergin, International New York Times

In recent decades, many European states have largely outsourced their security to the United States, which provided a defensive umbrella and protected global trade routes vital for European commerce and energy supplies.