Middle East

Iran Sends Flotilla of Warships to Atlantic Ocean

By FARS News Agency and ABC News

From FARS News Agency:  The Iranian Navy dispatched its first fleet of warships to the Atlantic Ocean in a ceremony participated by Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari

Business and Terrorism in Algeria

By Richard Nield

A year after forty workers were killed in a terrorist attack against one of Algeria’s largest gas facilities on January 16, 2013, serious reservations remain about the provision of security at the site. The government’s partners on the project, the UK’s BP and Norway’s Statoil, have not yet received the necessary assurances that they can […]

How Egypt’s Revolution Might Have Gone Differently

Reeling from a series of bombings, Egyptians are fearful, insecure, and grasping for a sense of stability as its revolutionaries get caught in the crossfire of the state’s war on the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorism. January 25, 2014 marks the thrid anniversary of the Egyptian revolution and many who supported the uprising wonder what change […]

Next Steps After Yemen’s National Dialogue

Just prior to the official conclusion of Yemen’s National Dialogue, the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East hosted a roundtable discussing the culmination of Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference (NDC) and what challenges the country continues to face as it moves forward into the next phase of its transition.  The roundtable, held on January 24, […]

Identity, Islam, and Women in the Tunisian Constitution

By Duncan Pickard

The process of drafting the Tunisian constitution, now awaiting its final phase of approval from the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), has been in some ways a debate about the nature of Tunisian society. When it is passed, the question on many minds will be the extent to which the document is progressive or conservative in […]

Syria: In Geneva, Political Settlement is Only Half the Battle

By Alex Simon

The prevailing attitude toward Geneva inside Syria underscores a central reality of the conference and one that could be easily overshadowed by the frantic diplomacy of recent weeks: even if the talks could miraculously produce their goal of forming transitional government, another miracle altogether would be required in order to implement any settlement on the […]

An Alternative History of the Egyptian Revolution

By Maged Atiya

It will soon be the third anniversary of the Egyptian revolution. There will be a flood of articles and opinions about where Egypt stands today, where it might be heading and the significance of various events. Blame will be assigned, pity will be sought, anger will be vented and in proper order events will overtake […]

Iran Nuclear Deal Opens Doors for Students

By Barbara Slavin

Among the beneficiaries of the interim nuclear agreement with Iran that went into effect this week are Iranian students abroad and the Western educational institutions that are already seeing rising interest from Iran. A senior Barack Obama administration official on Monday told reporters “we’ve committed that up to $400 million of Iran’s own money can […]

Getting US Policy Right in Egypt: Where Does Democracy Promotion Fit?

Since the July 3 ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi, many have questioned whether efforts to transition to democracy in Egypt are working and whether democracy promotion should be part of US policy towards Egypt. On January 23, 2014, the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East hosted Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace […]