Middle East

Victims of the Syrian War to President Trump: “Stop the War”

By Saleem al-Omar

After the US missile strike, many members of the Syrian opposition conveyed their support for the strike and their hope that the United States continues with more. Their statements send a clear message to President Bashar al-Assad that the most important thing to them is ending the war and their suffering.

US Strike in Syria Unlikely to Provoke Russian Response

While Russia was “probably surprised” by the US missile strike on a Syrian air base, it is unlikely that the Kremlin will respond with escalatory force, according to a former deputy secretary general of NATO. “They’re surprised, but I don’t necessarily think their reaction will be to escalate the situation,” said Alexander Vershbow, who now […]

Sisi’s Visit to Washington: Not Much Expected, Not Much Happened

By Dr. H.A. Hellyer

Amidst the anticipation of the first visit of an Egyptian president to Washington DC since 2009, there were a number of articles on Abdal Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to the White House in the first week of April. Much of the analysis was about what the Trump administration should want from Cairo. But the harsh reality […]

In Egypt, Watch this (Shrinking) Space

By Ashish Kumar Sen

President’s plan for state of emergency could further reduce space for dissent, said Atlantic Council’s Mirette Mabrouk Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi’s decision to impose a three-month state of emergency in response to deadly church bombings will likely further shrink the space for freedom of expression and dissent in Egypt, according to Mirette Mabrouk, director […]