Content

In the News

Jan 16, 2014

Itani Talks Hariri Assassination Tribunal

By Faysal Itani

Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East Fellow Faysal Itani joins BBC World News to discuss the trial of four men accused of carrying out the 2005 assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri:

Middle East

New Atlanticist

Jan 16, 2014

To Solve Syria, First Get Assad to Accept UN Aid Workers

By James Rupert

The US and its allies must address their Syria policies to the humanitarian catastrophe of millions of Syrians uprooted or brutalized by the civil war there – and must do it for reasons of realpolitik as well as humanitarianism, according to Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Frederic Hof, a former State Department advisor on Syria. As […]

Syria

MENASource

Jan 16, 2014

Misreading Egypt’s Referendum

By Maged Atiya

As soon as polls closed on January 15 2014, after two days of voting on amendments to the 2012 Egyptian constitution, it was clear that approval was guaranteed by an overwhelming margin well above 90 percent. The final margin was in fact close to 98 percent. This was the occasion for many commentators and scholars, […]

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 16, 2014

Egypt’s Referendum: Calculated Choices Betting on a Better Future

By Hafsa Halawa

Over the past two days Egyptians have gone back to the polls to vote on their third constitutional referendum in as many years.  There has much written about the flaws of the document itself, similar in context and content to the criticism of the December 2012 constitution and the earlier March 2011 constitutional declaration, yet […]

North Africa Political Reform

MENASource

Jan 16, 2014

Lebanon: Mohamad Bahaa Chatah, 1951-2013

By Frederic C. Hof

Mohamad Bahaa Chatah, former finance minister and Lebanese Ambassador to the United States, was assassinated in Beirut on December 27, 2013. It has taken me this long to write something about the passing of a friend and a paragon of human decency. When I think back about the Lebanon-related disasters that have occurred during the […]

Middle East

In the News

Jan 15, 2014

Mezran Quoted on Benghazi Report

Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East Senior Fellow Karim Mezran is quoted by MSNBC News on the political implications of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi:

Libya
Libyan Recruits

NATOSource

Jan 15, 2014

Two Thousand Libyan Troops to Receive Training in Italy

By Libya Herald

The 340 Libyan soldiers currently being trained in Italy are the first to benefit from a bilateral agreement that will see up to 2,000 troops trained in 2014.

Italy Libya

In the News

Jan 15, 2014

Hof Talks Syria Donor Conference

By Frederic C. Hof

Hariri Center for the Middle East Senior Fellow Frederic C. Hof joins NPR’s Morning Edition to discuss the donors conference in Kuwait aimed at raising humanitarian aid for Syria:

Syria

New Atlanticist

Jan 15, 2014

Keep Onus on Iran to Implement Nuclear Accord

By Barbara Slavin

This week’s announcement that the nuclear deal reached with Iran in late November is going to be implemented starting January 20 is welcome news on a number of fronts. It marks the first time in a decade that Iran will pause its progress toward a nuclear weapons capability. In return for modest sanctions relief, the Islamic […]

Iran
NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow in Tel Aviv

NATOSource

Jan 15, 2014

Turkey Reassured that NATO Missile Shield Not Designed for Israel

By Dan Williams, Reuters

Turkey has accepted assurances a planned NATO missile defense system in which it is playing a part is not designed to protect Israel as well, the alliance’s deputy secretary-general said on Wednesday.

Israel Missile Defense

Experts

Events