February 05, 2019
A Pharaoh in the Making: Sisi Seeks Long-term Job Security
Many Arab presidents have loved the chair and have worked hard to make it more like a throne. One wonders if Sisi would be audacious enough to just declare himself pharaoh and be done with...
Learn more »February 01, 2019
The Tragic Governance Crisis in Palestine
Fatah and Hamas are underestimating the damage of their split on Palestinians and their strategic objectives to end Israel’s occupation and establish an independent state.
Learn more »January 22, 2019
Book Review: Inside the Arab State by Mehran Kamrava
Examining what spurred the Arab Spring, what it wrought, and how the Arab political order fights change, Kamrava’s book is a good example of required, informative, and incisive scholarship.
Learn more »January 17, 2019
The Manbij Attack Exposes the Vulnerabilities of US Policy in Syria
The US withdrawal from Syria may encourage Turkey and Russia to fill the vacuum, but IS’s Manbij attack may persuade Trump to stay a bit longer there.
Learn more »January 10, 2019
Pompeo in Cairo: Not a Force for Good
With Trump as president and Pompeo as secretary of state, the United States has a very long way to become “a force for good” in the Middle East.
Learn more »January 08, 2019
Trump’s Visit Violated Iraq’s Sovereignty
While many in Iraq considered Trump’s visit a violation of sovereignty, there is no plan for changing the ongoing security relationship with the United States at this time.
Learn more »January 02, 2019
The Saudi Shake-Up to Consolidate One-Man Rule
King Salman’s cabinet reshuffle was to divert attention away from MbS’s responsibility for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi; but it will likely not succeed.
Learn more »December 20, 2018
Trump’s Syria Announcement Underscores US Policy Meltdown
The withdrawal of US troops will make it easier for Moscow and Tehran to advance a political solution ensuring that Assad and his allies remain in power.
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