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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

In the News

Jun 29, 2017

Mezran Quoted by The Globe Post on Qatar Rift’s Effect on Final Union Deal in Libya

By Karim Mezran

Read the full article here.

Libya
The Gulf

In the News

Jun 28, 2017

Hellyer Quoted by Newsweek on Egyptian President’s Crackdown on Dissent in the Face of Upcoming Elections

By H.A. Hellyer

Read the full article here.

North Africa

MENASource

Jun 27, 2017

Al-Azhar’s Role Abroad: Signs of Escalation and Efforts to Undermine

By Belal Abdallah

Last month, the Sheikh of al-Azhar, Dr Ahmed al-Tayeb, visited the German capital Berlin to attend the Protestant Church’s celebration marking five centuries since the start of the reformation. During his visit he met Germany’s president and a number of other ministers. This came after the visit of Pope Francis II to Egypt, on the […]

North Africa

MENASource

Jun 26, 2017

The Potential for Decentralization in Libya

By Karim Mezran, Elissa Miller, and Emelie Chace-Donahue

Libya today is close to being considered a failed state. The political system is stalled and authority is divided between an internationally recognized government, the Presidential Council and Government of National Accord (PC/GNA) in Tripoli and the House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk. Power is fragmented among myriad militias and armed groups, each one controlling […]

Libya

In the News

Jun 26, 2017

Mezran Quoted in Libya Herald on the Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya

By Karim Mezran

Read the full article here.

Libya

In the News

Jun 24, 2017

Hellyer Quoted in Reuters on Saudi Arabia’s Acquisition of Red Sea Islands

By H.A. Hellyer

Read the full article here.

North Africa
Saudi Arabia

MENASource

Jun 22, 2017

Defeating ISIS in Libya

By MENASource

While the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) has been routed out of its Libyan stronghold in the city of Sirte, the 2017 Manchester bombing, which was perpetrated by a duel British and Libyan citizen, demonstrated that Libya remains a fertile ground for ISIS and other extremist groups. On June 20, 2017, the Rafik Hariri Center […]

Libya

New Atlanticist

Jun 22, 2017

How to Root Out ISIS from Libya

By Xiaojing Zeng

True national reconciliation and inclusiveness are necessary ingredients for ending the cycle of statelessness and radicalization that has created a fertile ground for terrorist groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), to flourish in Libya, according to a new Atlantic Council report. “People who fought in Syria, we call that the undergrad […]

Libya

MENASource

Jun 21, 2017

Libya: A Political and Economic Trainwreck

By Mohsin Khan and Karim Mezran

Libya is in a Catch-22 situation—political agreement cannot be reached without economic improvement and political stability is necessary to revive the economy. Turning the economy around is contingent on oil production and exports coming back on line, at least in its initial phase. In order to produce and export at full capacity, the country requires […]

Libya

Event Recap

Jun 20, 2017

The origins and evolution of ISIS in Libya

By Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

The Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East launched a new report, the origins and evolution of ISIS in Libya, authored by Jason Pack, Rhiannon Smith, and Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Karim Mezran. Jason Pack is the Founder and Director of Eye on ISIS in Libya and Rhiannon Smith is the Managing Director of Eye […]

Extremism
Libya

Experts