Middle East

Consent of the Governed: A New Middle East Political Order?

By Frederic C. Hof

Despite the grim realities we face on so many fronts in the Middle East today, there is reason to be optimistic about the long-term political trajectory of the Arab world. Arabs—especially young Arabs—are finally beginning to answer, on their own and from the ground up, the key question of the past century: what will follow […]

Energy Resources in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Promoting Regional Stability and Prosperity

On April 8, 2013, the Atlantic Council’s Patriciu Eurasia Center held a public discussion on “Energy Resources in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq” with the Minister of Natural Resources Dr. Ashti Hawrami.

The No-Fly Zone Conundrum

By Frederic C. Hof

Since the very start of armed resistance to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad there have been demands that US President Barack Obama declare and impose a no-fly zone over parts of Syria. Over the past several months these demands have increased exponentially, as the regime has established a deadly pattern of terror: when […]

Lebanon’s parliamentary consultations: Political breakthrough or deadlock?

By Faysal Itani and Sarah Grebowski

Despite media warnings of a political vacuum in Lebanon following the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Lebanon, many Lebanese politicians seem more relieved than worried. Although the government’s collapse does indeed raise the risk of destabilization as Lebanon grapples with the spillover effect of Syria’s war, the country’s current crisis is better described […]

The Syrian National Fund: One of Many Tools to Save Syria

By Hussein M. El-Amach

Saving Syria is conditional on the immediate and total removal of the Assad regime, by force or via political settlement. Otherwise, dragging on the stalemate will leave nothing to be saved. The cost of the Arab Spring in Syria has been catastrophic in comparison to other countries. Syria has suffered severe destruction at the hands […]