Middle East

Has Iran Outfoxed Netanyahu?

By Rajan Menon

The much-anticipated breakthrough in the negotiations aimed at preventing Iran from building nuclear weapons has yet to materialize. But Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who believes that a wily Iran is outwitting its gullible interlocutors, isn’t breathing any easier; instead, he’s breathing fire. The statements from those involved in the talks (Iran and the P5+1) […]

Eight Simple Questions on Egypt’s Transition

By Amr Hamzawy

The only way to combat the lack of popular demand for truth, or to fight acts of distortion and false consciousness typically associated with tyrannical regimes, waves of fascism, severe crises in stable democracies, or divergences on the path towards democracy, is to push citizens to gradually search for what has been hidden from them […]

Syria: Should Geneva 2 Happen?

By Frederic C. Hof

Daily reports of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s tactical military advances in Aleppo, the Damascus suburbs, and elsewhere seem not to dampen the appetite of President Barack Obama’s administration for the near-term convening of a “Geneva 2” conference, whose stated purpose would be to negotiate—on the basis of mutual consent—the peopling of a transitional governing body […]

One Step Forward in Geneva

By Catherine Putz

The latest P5+1 talks with Iran in Geneva have resulted in little tangible progress, but experts are optimistic about the potential for a deal when talks resume later this month.

The Forgotten Minorities: Egypt’s Nubians and Amazigh in the Amended Constitution

By Fady Salah

A mere four months after former president Mohamed Morsi’s ouster and the announcement of the July 3 political roadmap, Egypt is almost done with the first phase: amending the controversial 2012 constitution. An attempt to better understand the direction in which the fifty-member assembly is taking Egypt requires examination of several crucial issues within the […]

Egypt’s Nour Party Spokesman on the Dangers of Exclusion

By MENASource

The Salafi Nour Party may have ruffled some feathers among liberals both in Egypt and abroad over their conservative views and the role of religion in politics, but one thing is certain: they have played the political game well.

The Egyptian Dilemma: Between the Crushed Winners or the Felool

By Nader Bakkar

Egypt’s interim government may have more in common with its immeditate predecessor than it would like to admit. The current government is using the Muslim Brotherhood as an excuse for its shortcomings, in much the same way that ousted president Mohamed Morsi’s regime used the National Salvation Front (NSF) to absolve it of its failures. […]

Libya: Insecurity Breeds Illegitimacy

By Anna Lund

In recent weeks Libya has reclaimed space in the international media spotlight for concerning reasons. Thursday evening warring militias brought gun battles and anti-aircraft fire to the streets of Tripoli.

No Agreement Reached in Geneva on Iran’s Nuclear Program

In Geneva, world powers and Iran failed to reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. Many Iranians blame the French foreign minister. Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Barbara Slavin gave an in-depth interview on RT about the talks and the failed outcome.