Middle East

Ariel Sharon: Influential in Death

By New Atlanticist

“Written on every page of Israel’s history, in ink and in blood, is the name Ariel Sharon,” notes Michael Oren, Israel’s former ambassador to the United States. Even following Sharon’s death January 11, the former soldier and prime minister “will influence the future, as Israelis consider their options” in the event that US-led diplomacy fails […]

Voting on the Tunisian Constitution

By Duncan Pickard

Something remarkable is happening this week in Tunisia. The National Constituent Assembly is in the final stages of adopting a new constitution, the first of the Arab Spring and, indeed, the first in the Arabic-speaking world written democratically and not under the influence of a dictator or foreign power. In a spectacle rarely seen anywhere […]

Egypt’s Constitutional Referendum [Liveblog January 14]

By EgyptSource

With polling stations opening across Egypt and voting underway in the constitutional referendum, keep up with live updates on EgyptSource here.

Egyptians, Divided Again, Vote on a Constitution

By New Atlanticist

Millions of Egyptians voted this week on a new constitution, a referendum that may help decide whether the country of 80 million people – for centuries a fulcrum of the Arab world – might return soon to a semblance of political stability. Several parties boycotted the poll, the first nationwide vote of any kind since the […]

Egypt’s Draft Constitution and Referendum: Useful Links

By EgyptSource

As Egypt’s expatriate community has completed voting, with a 15 percent voter turnout, and a 97.4 percent approval rate, and the country’s governorates gear up for a two-day referendum on the 2013 draft constitution on January 14 and 15, below are useful links to get up to speed on the text of the constitution and […]

Syrian Peace Talks: What is Achievable Near Term?

By Frederic C. Hof

We came together this morning, and we are planning for a Geneva II conference next week for a simple reason: because there is no military solution to the violence that has displaced millions and taken more than 130,000 lives. There is no other alternative to ending this violence and saving the state of Syria than […]

Key Questions on Egypt’s Upcoming Referendum [Update]

As Egypt prepares to go to the polls once again, voting for a second constitution in the span of three years, following are key updates on the referendum taking place on January 14 and 15: 

Germany’s Contribution to the OPCW-UN Mission in Syria

By German Foreign Ministry

In response to a request from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the German Government has decided that Germany will make a substantial contribution towards the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons.

The Gulf is a Flashpoint for Cyber Conflict

By James Andrew Lewis, CSIS

Cyberattack is a new tool of national power. It provides a means of coercion, influence, and warfare.