May 17, 2017
Iraq Beyond the Islamic State
The battle by the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and their allies to retake control of the city of Mosul, while bloody and drawn out, now appears to be in its final phases. The central government...
Learn more »May 15, 2017
Cautionary Notes to the GCC about Trump’s Visit
President Donald Trump announced that he will visit Saudi Arabia later this month on his first foreign trip, one that will also take him to Israel/Palestine, the Vatican, and other places in Europe. During his...
Learn more »May 10, 2017
The Precariousness of the De-Escalation Zones in Syria
Although the Russia-Turkey-Iran agreement on de-escalation zones in Syria was announced with boastful statements, ongoing clashes on the designated zones point to serious impediments in implementing the ceasefire on the ground. “We as guarantors…will do...
Learn more »May 09, 2017
Abbas’s Inconclusive Washington Visit and Netanyahu’s Tactics
On May 3rd, Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with US President Donald Trump. Abbas’s meeting with Trump followed that of several other White House...
Learn more »May 09, 2017
Challenges Facing Iran’s Presidential Contenders
The Guardian Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is responsible for vetting candidates in elections, has approved a total of six men out of over 1,600 hopefuls to run for the Iranian presidency...
Learn more »May 03, 2017
The Middle East in Trump’s First 100 Days in Office
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the term “first hundred days” in a radio address, little did he know that this term would haunt every US president in the weeks after taking the oath of...
Learn more »May 02, 2017
President Abbas Spins the Wheel in Washington
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas once again travels to Washington looking for fresh approaches to Palestinian-Israeli peace. He leaves behind a Palestinian society questioning whether there is any more hope for peace as Israel’s occupation of...
Learn more »May 01, 2017
Tunisians Want a Better Economy and a Democratic System
In addition to the natural difficulties of the development process, Tunisia faces numerous challenges stemming from the Jasmine Revolution against the regime of former President Zein al-Abidin bin Ali and his ouster in January 2011....
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