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

Feb 7, 2013

How Chokri Belaid’s Assassination Impacts the Tunisian Transition

By Eric Knecht

Once word spread of the assassination of Tunisian opposition leader Chokri Belaid, an outspoken critic of the Ennahda Islamist party, thousands of Tunisians took to the streets calling for the fall of the Ennahda-led government. Although the death of Belaid is the immediate cause of unrest, pressure has been mounting on the Islamist ruling party […]

North Africa

New Atlanticist

Feb 4, 2013

Libya’s Spheres of Bad Influence

By Karim Mezran

The tragic events unfolding in North Africa have brought to the attention of the West a reality that has been long underestimated and neglected: the rapid collapse of law and order in the countries that went through the revolts of the so-called Arab spring. Western countries have relied on the hope that new governments across […]

Libya NATO

MENASource

Jan 28, 2013

Yet Another Reason National Reconciliation in Libya Cannot Wait

By Karim Mezran

The famous Egyptian analyst and writer Mohamed Hassanein Heikal recently revived an old theory in an interview on Egyptian television: Egypt can claim a right to the fertile and oil-rich lands of the eastern Libyan provinces since millions of Egyptians are descendant from Libyan tribes that once lived on the Egyptian-Libyan border. Heikal also implied […]

Libya

New Atlanticist

Jan 24, 2013

The French Mess in Mali and Libya

By Rajan Menon

If you want an illustration of the law of unintended consequences, look no further than Mali. The drama that’s been unfolding there over the past nine months, and that has taken a new turn in the past week, is a perfect illustration.

France Libya

MENASource

Jan 9, 2013

Libya’s Fractious New Politics

By Karim Mezran and Eric Knecht

Politics—defined here as the conflict of competing factions for power—did not meaningfully exist under the former Gaddafi regime. For some, the fact that they exist now, and in a rather lively fashion, is cause for optimism. However, the fact that they have become this fractious this fast, is cause for concern for many more. In […]

Libya

MENASource

Dec 21, 2012

The Troublesome Politics Behind Libya’s Southern Militarization

By Karim Mezran and Eric Knecht

 This past Sunday Libya’s legislative assembly, the General National Congress (GNC), made perhaps its boldest announcement to date: to seal off the southern border, declare the area a military zone, and appoint a military governor with full authority to arrest wanted criminals. Libya’s south has been plagued by drug smuggling, human and arms trafficking, and […]

Libya

MENASource

Dec 19, 2012

IMF Program for Egypt: Yet Another Delay

By Mohsin Khan and Svetlana Milbert

 The IMF Executive Board was due to consider the program for Egypt on December 19, 2012.  Once it was formally approved by the Executive Directors, as it was expected to be, the first tranche of the $4.8 billion loan would have been made available to Egypt immediately. However, on December 11 the Egyptian Minister of […]

North Africa

Issue Brief

Dec 13, 2012

Lessons from constitution-making in Tunisia

By Duncan Pickard

The Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East is pleased to release a new issue brief, “Lessons from Constitution-Making in Tunisia,” authored by non-resident fellow Duncan Pickard who examines the challenges and lessons learned from the country’s constitution-writing process While Tunisia’s Constituent Assembly remains several months away from completing its work and some major issues, […]

North Africa

Event Recap

Dec 13, 2012

Lessons from Constitution Making in Tunisia

By Jason Harmala

Hariri Center for the Middle East non-resident fellow Duncan Pickard presented his new issue brief, “Developing the Tunisian Constitution: Lessons Learned from the Process?” at a roundtable discussion on Thursday, December 13 with commentary by Mondher Ben Hameda, a prominent Tunisian-American business leader, who offered his insights on the constitution process and broader political trends. […]

North Africa

Event Recap

Nov 29, 2012

Prospects for Maghreb Economic Integration

By Jason Harmala

More than twenty prominent economic and political experts joined the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East on November 29, 2012 to discuss prospects for North Africa (Maghreb) economic integration. The Maghreb region holds the distinction of having the lowest intra-regional trade in the world. And though integration holds enormous benefits for North African countries—as […]

North Africa

Experts