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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

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

Report

Jun 20, 2017

The origins and evolution of ISIS in Libya

By Jason Pack, Rhiannon Smith, and Karim Mezran

For the past three decades, Libya has been a rich recruiting ground for the global jihad. Investigating the precursors and then subsequent evolution of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and other extremist actors throughout this period presents actionable insights into how jihadist actors coalesce; how they interfere in post-conflict state building; the […]

Extremism Libya

MENASource

Jun 19, 2017

Why Inflation is So High in Egypt

By Mohsin Khan and Elissa Miller

Over the past decade or so, Egypt has consistently experienced relatively high rates of inflation. But since the advent of the Arab Spring in 2011, the increase in consumer prices steadily accelerated. During 2011-2015, the average rate of inflation was close to ten percent a year, which was well above the corresponding rate of six […]

North Africa

In the News

Jun 18, 2017

Miller in the Arab Weekly: Libya Is in Dire Need of a National Reconciliation Effort

By Elissa Miller

Read the full article here.

Libya

New Atlanticist

Jun 13, 2017

The Arab World’s Sorry State

By Nabeel Khoury

The Arab world is in a sorry state. The spat between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Qatar is but the latest symptom of an enduring serious rot in governance and a destructive power struggle in the wake of the Arab Spring. This situation is compounded by a lack of constructive dialogue on addressing the […]

North Africa Saudi Arabia

MENASource

Jun 8, 2017

Factbox: Migrant Workers and the Qatar Rift

By Emelie Chace-Donahue

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar amid accusations of supporting terrorism. The Gulf countries closed off borders and airspace to Qatar, and deported Qatari nationals living in their countries, while Qatar’s stock markets plunged in the wake of the rift. The immediate effects on Qatari […]

North Africa The Gulf

MENASource

Jun 7, 2017

Despite Successive Blows, Muslim Sisters Keep the Brotherhood Alive

By Abdelrahman Youssef

In a continuation of their confrontation with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian authorities arrested two Muslim Sisters, Dr. Hana Badr al-Din and Sara Abdul Moneim, during their visit to al-Qanater prison with the family of one of its prisoners. Recently, the Brotherhood’s Fund Inventory Committee has included the names of several women with relatives among […]

North Africa

Experts