Programs

Middle East Programs

Working with our allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

Libya

Content

MENASource

Apr 8, 2014

Egypt’s Crackdown May Bring Terror Closer to Home

By Aziz El-Kaissouni

It’s been said that the jails of Arab dictatorships are the birthing ground of militant Islamism. A mere thirteen years after the 9/11 attacks, that grim truism seems to have been largely forgotten or ignored by Western governments still fumbling on how to react to Egypt’s descent into a new and particularly violent authoritarianism.

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 7, 2014

As it Marks its Anniversary, April 6 Struggles to Find its Voice

By Sarah El Sirgany

As the April 6 Youth Movement debated how to mark its seven year anniversary, its members eventually settled on a press conference at the Lawyer’s Syndicate, followed by a rally on the steps of the nearby Journalists’ Syndicate. Avoiding clashes with the police was crucial. The main objective of the anniversary press conference and protest […]

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 7, 2014

US Rhetoric on Egypt and What it Means

By MENASource

To look at the US-Egyptian relationship is to look at the classic struggle between interests and values in a bilateral relationship with the United States. The relationship pits concerns over human rights and democracy against derived security and strategic advantages.

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 6, 2014

The Week in Egypt [April 6, 2014]

By Daniel Stoker

Catch up on the latest out of Egypt every week, with analysis, news updates, photos, videos, and more.

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 4, 2014

Wishful Thinking: The Obama Administration’s Rhetoric on Democracy and Human Rights in Egypt

By Amy Hawthorne

By all credible indicators, a democratic Egypt appears more remote than ever, but President Barack Obama’s administration doesn’t seem ready to admit this grim truth.  A review of key statements on Egypt during the past month shows the wishful thinking shaping the discourse as the United States struggles to reconcile its declared support for democracy […]

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 4, 2014

A Mixed Bag of Human Rights in the Middle East

By EgyptSource

The wave of uprisings in the Middle East in 2011 adopted part of its ethos from a desire for stronger human rights protections and government accountability. The fall of dictators in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen promised a new Arab world in its wake, but political and economic realities quickly quashed the resulting euphoria, replacing […]

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 2, 2014

Ajnad Misr Claims Responsibility for Cairo University Blasts

On Wednesday, three bombs went off at Cairo University, killing at least two, among them a police officer, and wounding five. The consecutive blasts were detonated remotely. Militant group Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt) claimed responsibility for the blast in a statement shared on Twitter, as pointed out by the Long War Journal’s David Barnett. 

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 2, 2014

On the Responsibility to Form a Public Coalition for Rights, Freedom, and National Development

By Amr Hamzawy

Egypt is at a crossroads. It is stuck between the elite on one side, who have pushed the country backward with the support of the military-security establishment that exercises hegemony over the state and society. On the other side is the Muslim Brotherhood, which, during its 2011-2013 rule, did not seek a democratic transition but […]

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 2, 2014

Is Local Government in Libya the Solution?

By Mahmoud Bader

As Libya faces numerous challenges with the existence of federalists and militia groups, the question of decentralization grows in urgency. Libyans need to bolster local government in an effort to leave their past behind and meet their everyday needs, but lacks the adequate legal and constitutional framework to ensure better governance.

Libya

MENASource

Apr 1, 2014

The Road to Presidential Elections [Update 2]

By EgyptSource

With voting in Egypt’s second presidential elections in two years expected to take place on May 26 and 27, EgyptSource will be providing periodic updates on the latest news coming out of the Egyptian elections process.

Elections North Africa

Experts