September 06, 2017
The Popular Mobilization Forces and Iraq’s Next Elections
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) (al-Hashd al-Shaabi) has played a significant role in defeating the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq. Thus, it has already gained popularity and esteem among Iraqis. In the context of...
Learn more »August 31, 2017
Will Netanyahu’s Legal Troubles Break the Stalemate?
Ever since his midnight surprise election victory against Shimon Peres in 1996, Benjamin Netanyahu has been a permanent fixture in Israeli politics. He served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999 and then won three...
Learn more »August 30, 2017
An Evaluation of President Trump’s Emerging Counterterrorism Strategy
President Donald J. Trump unveiled America’s long-awaited new strategy for Afghanistan in nationally televised remarks at Fort Myer in Arlington, VA, on August 21. The strategy outlined there was the culmination of his general approach...
Learn more »August 29, 2017
Egypt’s Extremist Groups and the Shrinking Political Space
Egypt faces a threat from several extremist groups, the most active among which is Wilayat Sinai (Sinai Province) that is affiliated with the so-called Islamic State (IS) and has killed hundreds of security personnel and...
Learn more »August 28, 2017
Is the Trump-Sisi Honeymoon Over?
Donald Trump’s election as president of the United States came as a good omen for Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. After eschewing the talk about human rights and democracy and extolling the virtues of strongmen from...
Learn more »August 24, 2017
Is the Turkey-Iran Rapprochement Durable in Iraq and Syria?
The recent meeting between Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, the Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces, was not only a historic first since the 1979 Iranian revolution but also most critical...
Learn more »August 23, 2017
Stakeholders of the Syrian Conflict Divide the Pie
The United Nations (UN) envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, predicted that the coming months will be crucial for the conflict he has been trying to resolve for the past three years. If there are...
Learn more »August 17, 2017
The Still Elusive Libyan Peace
The apparent hiatus in Libya’s chaotic scene obscures some serious developments that further jeopardize the unity of the country, its civic peace, and its future stability. Indeed, the near absence of the internecine fighting that...
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