Middle East

Hezbollah Unfazed

By Maya Gebeily

In a long-awaited move, the European Union on Monday designated the military wing of Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. The months-long discussions were catalyzed by American pressure and proof of Hezbollah’s involvement in a 2012 terrorist attack in Bulgaria.

Impact of Regional Dynamics on Yemen’s Fragile Transition

Assessing the impact of regional dynamics on Yemen’s political transition, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and German diplomat and Yemen expert Philip Holzapfel discussed the relevance of Yemen’s transition for the broader Middle East and North Africa region in a moment of uncertainty and instability in the Arab awakening countries. In closed discussion hosted […]

Defining Coups, and Political Dysfunction

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

In a recent congressional hearing, Representative Brad Sherman’s observation got it entirely right: more than two weeks after Mohammed Morsi’s ouster from power, the United States government still isn’t characterizing the events that transpired in Egypt as a coup. Though Secretary of State John Kerry is doubtless correct that the situation is complex, the fact […]

Secularists Need Unity to Take on Political Islam

By Barbara Slavin

For millions of Egyptians, there is a palpable sense of relief that their president is no longer Mohamed Morsi. But for Egypt’s democratic “do-over” to succeed, the forces that came together to persuade the army to remove Morsi will have to unite behind a viable electoral alternative.

Congress Misunderstands Role of Joint Chiefs

By James Joyner

Senator John McCain is blocking a second term for General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after a testy exchange in a hearing Thursday. His grounds? The refusal of Dempsey to “respond to legitimate questions” from the senior senator from Arizona.