February 14, 2019
The Khashoggi Affair: Saudi Denial 2.0
Saudi Arabia continues to deny its leadership’s responsibility for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, despite all the evidence that has emerged since his assassination.
Learn more »February 12, 2019
The Gulf States: Wasted Wealth and Unreliable US Policy
Developments over recent years have proven without a doubt that what Washington is unable to do in the Middle East far exceeds what it can and wants to accomplish there.
Learn more »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.
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