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TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceAs 2021 Begins, Rival Populisms Menace Tunisia’s Democracy
Jan 8, 2021Daniel BrumbergTen years after Tunisia’s “Jasmine Revolution” sparked grassroots uprisings in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria, the pressures of an economic crisis, rampant c…
- Policy Analysis
MoroccoUS Foreign PolicyMorocco, Too, Signs on to Trump’s Lawlessness
Dec 11, 2020Imad K. HarbMorocco became the fourth Arab country to normalize relations with Israel without linking the move to progress regarding Palestine. In fact, the agreement had …
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaUS Foreign PolicyThe Complications Confronting Biden in Northwest Africa
Dec 2, 2020Imad K. HarbFollowing four years of American disarray and the absence of an effective foreign policy, the Joe Biden presidency faces both serious challenges in dealing wit…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptUS Foreign PolicyThe Biden Administration and Egypt: A New Course or Business as Usual?
Dec 1, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniSince the announcement of Joe Biden’s victory in the US election, a state of anxiety and unease has gripped Egypt. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi will now lose…
- Viewpoint
MoroccoDoes Arab Public Opinion on Palestine Still Count in 2020?
Nov 18, 2020Khalil E. JahshanAlthough public opinion research in the Arab world has evolved significantly in recent years, it does not seem to be taken seriously by American policymakers i…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptProtests and ActivismProtests of the Poor in Egypt: Causes and Implications
Oct 21, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniOn September 20th, a series of anti-government demonstrations broke out in a number of Egyptian governorates and villages protesting the social and economic co…
- Policy Analysis
JordanRegional Relations and GeopoliticsEgypt-Iraq-Jordan Alliance Tries to Change Middle East Dynamics
Sep 16, 2020Curtis R. RyanOn August 25, 2020, the leaders of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan met in Amman for the third in a succession of meetings marking ever-closer relations between the thr…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaGlobal Health and Health PolicyNorth African Autocrats Use the Pandemic to Expand Power, Settle Scores
Sep 15, 2020Charles W. DunneMany months have passed since the novel coronavirus epidemic began, with wide-ranging and often devastating health, economic, and social ramifications. The pol…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptViolent ExtremismEgypt’s Counterterrorism Strategy in Sinai: Challenges and Failures
Aug 28, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniLooking at Egypt’s counterterrorism strategy against the Sinai insurgency, Khalil al-Anani writes that it is counterproductive and creates fertile ground for e…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Egypt’s Military Options
Jul 30, 2020Charles W. DunneWith talks between Egypt and Ethiopia failing to break the impasse over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Charles W. Dunne evaluates Cairo’s military option…
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernancePolitical Crisis, Regional Power Struggles, and Creeping Presidentialism in Tunisia
Jul 29, 2020Daniel BrumbergAnalyzing Tunisia’s political problems, Daniel Brumberg writes that nearly a decade into the country’s democratic experiment, many of its leaders appear incapa…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaUS Foreign PolicyBy Sanctioning Turkey’s Role in Libya, Trump Emboldens Erdoğan in the Eastern Mediterranean
Jul 10, 2020Joe MacaronEvaluating the Trump Administration's policy toward Libya, Joe Macaron writes that from giving a green light to Haftar to march toward Tripoli to endorsing Tur…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsUnderstanding Egypt’s Strategy in Libya
Jul 8, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani discounts the chances for a direct Egyptian military intervention in Libya despite the dangers of instability and chaos there and their impact …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptClimate and EnvironmentWater Conflict Between Egypt and Ethiopia: A Defining Moment for Both Countries
Jun 16, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani discusses the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project between Egypt and Ethiopia and argues that it constitutes a turning poin…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernancePolitics of COVID-19 in Egypt: Between Repression and Opportunism
May 12, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniThe Egyptian regime's medical assistance to the United States and other countries during the coronavirus pandemic is meant to mollify international criticism o…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionHaftar’s Secession Must Not Stand
May 2, 2020Imad K. HarbGeneral Haftar's unilateral abrogation of the 2015 Skhirat Agreement is illegal and that his secession in areas under his control paves the way for Libya's dis…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaDemocracy and GovernanceCOVID-19 Promises Algeria Uncertainty, Danger, and—Perhaps—Opportunity
Apr 23, 2020Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg discusses the political and economic circumstances surrounding the Algerian military's handling of the coronavirus epidemic, using the situatio…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsLibya: Between Proxy War and International Failure
Apr 14, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniThe domestic, regional, and international players of the Libyan conflict continue to fuel the civil war nine years after the toppling of Muammar Qadhafi.
- Policy Analysis
MoroccoDemocracy and GovernanceMorocco: Despite Some Progress, Many Challenges Remain
Mar 31, 2020Nabeel A. KhouryNabeel Khoury discusses Morocco's political and economic conditions and cautions its elite to use the opportunity of the current social calm engendered by the …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsEgypt-Turkey Strained Relations: Implications for Regional Security
Mar 18, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniEgyptian-Turkish tensions over influence, Libya, the eastern Mediterranean, and the Gulf region have increased regional insecurity and require de-escalation an…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptJustice, Equality, and Human RightsState Terror in Egypt: Is It Time for Accountability?
Feb 28, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniThis article by Khaill Al-Anani examines the Egyptian regime’s tools for such repression and the lack of pressure by western governments to hold it accountable…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptProtests and ActivismEgypt’s Puzzling Dilemma: Escalating Challenges and Obstructed Mobilization
Feb 20, 2020Sahar KhamisEgypt’s widening economic and social gaps may lead the regime to adopt harsher measures of political control.
- Policy Analysis
TunisiaDemocracy and GovernancePost-Election Blues in Tunisia: Implications at Home and Abroad
Feb 10, 2020Daniel BrumbergThe fate of Tunisia’s democracy may depend on the leadership of President Saied who, until 2019, neither played a political role nor had links to the existing …
- From our Affiliates
LibyaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsTurkey’s Growing Role in Libya: Motives, Background, and Responses
Jan 9, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)There are fears that external interventions in Libya may prolong its conflict and threaten the future and territorial integrity of the country. Read this analy…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsIs Turkey Playing with Fire in Libya?
Jan 6, 2020Mustafa GurbuzTurkish troops aim to buttress Libya's Government of National Accord, but escalating tensions in the Mediterranean may actually harm both Ankara and Tripoli.
- Policy Analysis
LibyaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe Libya-Turkey Memorandum of Understanding: Local and Regional Repercussions
Jan 2, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)The signing of the Libyan-Turkish memorandum of understanding on maritime sovereignty in the Eastern Mediterranean has coincided with increased tensions both w…
- From our Affiliates
AlgeriaDemocracy and GovernanceCould the Presidential Elections Constitute a Milestone for Algeria?
Dec 18, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Tebboune’s presidential test in the coming months will be in his ability to gain the confidence of Algerians in general, and the popular movement in particular.
- Policy Analysis
LibyaUS Foreign PolicyThe Trump Administration Tries a New Policy in Libya
Dec 18, 2019Gregory AftandilianWashington is now firmly pressing Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar to stop his offensive on Tripoli and allow for a negotiated settlement with the GNA. With so …
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaDemocracy and GovernanceAlgeria’s Upcoming Elections Are Not the End of the Road
Dec 3, 2019Imad K. HarbThe military-imposed presidential election in Algeria should not deter the protesters from pressing on with their demand for radical political and economic cha…
- Washington Policy Weekly
LibyaUS Foreign PolicyThe Conflict in Libya Resurfaces on Washington’s Agenda
Nov 27, 2019Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery discusses the renewed interest in both Congress and the Trump Administration to address the ongoing conflict in Libya and asks whether the Un…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsCloser Egyptian-Russian Relations Causing a Headache in Washington
Nov 26, 2019Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian states that US officials are warning Egypt not to move ahead with the purchase of advanced Russian jet fighters; however, developing ties b…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaDemocracy and GovernanceThe Tunisian Elections: Surprise Results and Challenges Ahead
Oct 21, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Tunisia after its elections will be ruled by a governmental coalition the nature of which will depend on the relationship between the new president and the new…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceBy Electing Kais Saied, Tunisians Recast Their National Politics
Oct 17, 2019Daniel BrumbergThe Tunisian electorate has handed the independent candidate Kais Saied a huge victory. With 73 percent of the vote against Nabil Karoui’s 27 percent, he now h…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaJustice, Equality, and Human RightsAlgeria’s Standoff between Protesters and the Regime
Oct 2, 2019Gregory AftandilianThere is a dangerous standoff in Algeria between the protesters, who are demanding regime change, and the military establishment, which wants to maintain the s…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaDemocracy and GovernancePresidential Elections in Tunisia: Reading the First Round Results
Sep 25, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)The results of the first round of the 2019 presidential elections in Tunisia represent an early crisis for a regime marked by the fragmentation of the party ma…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceEgypt’s Protests: A Sign the Arab Spring Is Alive
Sep 24, 2019Imad K. HarbAlthough the protests today are unlike those that garnered millions at public squares in 2011, the struggle of the Egyptian people against repression remains a…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLibya’s Stalemate Could Lead to Dreaded Partition
Sep 17, 2019Imad K. HarbWhile domestic competition and outside intervention are fueling the dangerous Libyan conflict, General Haftar’s challenge to the GNA and rejection of UN mediat…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaDemocracy and GovernanceTunisia Struggles to Project Foreign Policy Independence
Aug 22, 2019Daniel BrumbergTunisia’s leaders would do well to balance their hopes for democracy and human rights with the pragmatic exigencies of an independent foreign policy that prote…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptEnergy and EconomicsPositive Economic Growth in Egypt Belies Mounting Problems
Aug 21, 2019Gregory AftandilianOpening up the political and economic systems in Egypt would allow for sustained private sector growth and a free flow of ideas—and criticism—that would keep t…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaDemocracy and GovernanceTunisia’s Fragile Democracy after Essebsi
Aug 2, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg argues that Tunisia’s Essebsi leaves behind a political crisis that is partly rooted in a convoluted constitutional language that does not clea…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaJustice, Equality, and Human RightsThe Arab Spring May Still Be Alive in Northwestern Africa
Jul 25, 2019Charles W. DunneThe popular uprisings and challenges to the regimes in Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania indicate that the Arab Spring may not have ended and that authoritarian…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsSaudi-Emirati-Egyptian Alliance Steering US Middle East Policy
Jun 26, 2019Charles W. DunneWith the American retreat from the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt are presenting themselves as reliable allies. However, they are pursuing an ag…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceMorsi’s Death: Conflicting Narratives, Escalating Repression, Deepening Polarization
Jun 25, 2019Sahar KhamisFormer President Mohamed Morsi’s death is emblematic of continuing government repression and unchecked violations of human rights in Egypt that threaten the li…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaDemocracy and GovernanceA Dangerous Algerian Struggle against Uncertainty
Jun 21, 2019Imad K. HarbA multilateral dialogue involving different segments of society and moderate military elements is imperative to end the current stalemate and lay the foundatio…
- Policy Analysis
Identity Politics 2.0: Cyber Geopolitics and the Weaponization of Social Media
Jun 1, 2019Tamara KharroubThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.In the months leading up to the attacks against the Rohingya Muslim minority in …
- Policy Analysis
Middle East Sectarianism: A Symptom to a Cause
Jun 1, 2019Marwan J. KabalanThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Sectarianism and sectarian conflict in the Middle East are often presented as ce…
- Policy Analysis
The Dilemma of “Normalization”: Can Islamists Participate without Polarizing Politics?
Jun 1, 2019Shadi HamidThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.The dislike, or even hatred, of mainstream Islamist parties1 is assumed to lead …
- Policy Analysis
Identity and Inclusion: Rethinking Citizenship in Arab Societies
Jun 1, 2019Linda Bishai Elly RostoumLinda Bishai and Elly Rostoum decry exclusivist identity politics in the Arab world and propose this remedy: a transition to democratic practices that respect …
- Policy Analysis
A Collaborative Regional Reconstruction Strategy in the Arab World
Jun 1, 2019Sultan BarakatArab states can no longer pretend that poor economic, social, and environmental conditions and other consequential challenges affect only some of them and not …
- Policy Analysis
Time, Transition, and Justice in Arab States
Jun 1, 2019Noha AboueldahabThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.What does it mean to pursue criminal accountability in the context of resurgent …
- Policy Analysis
The Legacy of the Pillared Arab State
Jun 1, 2019Daniel BrumbergThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.IntroductionAmong other things, politics provides a means of managing conflicts.…
- Policy Analysis
Chronic Insecurity in the Middle East: Causes and Consequences
Jun 1, 2019Mehran KamravaThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Even before the discovery of oil in southwestern Iran at the start of the 20th c…
- Policy Analysis
Government Survival Strategies in the Middle East
Jun 1, 2019Sarah Leah WhitsonThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Regional and global geopolitics, intrigues, and rivalries often attract the most…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWorrisome Competition in the Red Sea Subsystem
May 1, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Red Sea subsystem involves many capable regional and international actors with competing agendas that, if not reconciled, could increase tensions and lead …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceEgypt’s New Constitutional Amendments: Moving toward Totalitarianism
Apr 30, 2019Charles W. DunneEgypt's new constitutional amendments, passed overwhelmingly in a national referendum, drive the country further along the road to totalitarianism. In reality,…
- Policy Analysis
LibyaReligion and PoliticsHaftar’s Attempted Coup and Trump’s Collusion over Libya
Apr 23, 2019Imad K. HarbIt is doubtful that Haftar’s campaign against Tripoli will end Libya’s chaos; indeed, it is likely to exacerbate and extend the country’s civil war and increas…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaDemocracy and GovernanceNegotiating a Path Forward in Algeria
Apr 17, 2019Daniel BrumbergIn Algeria, as in Egypt, the single biggest obstacle to advancing a democratic transition is the military. The opposition has some hard choices—none are good, …
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionTunisia’s Fragmented and Polarized Political Landscape
Mar 28, 2019Daniel BrumbergIn the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in November 2019, if Tunisia’s politicians continue to battle under the umbrella of a largely feigned …
- Policy Analysis
LibyaDemocracy and GovernanceCorrecting Libya’s Imbalance
Mar 19, 2019Imad K. HarbThe international community must help Libya avoid renewed authoritarianism and political and military chaos by supporting UN efforts to hold elections and help…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptSecurity and DefenseThe US-Egypt Political-Military Relationship: A Critical Assessment
Mar 13, 2019Charles W. DunneOnce a pillar of American regional planning in the Middle East, Egypt’s relationship with the United States is likely to be reevaluated by the new House of Rep…
- Viewpoint
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceA Pharaoh in the Making: Sisi Seeks Long-term Job Security
Feb 5, 2019Imad K. HarbMany 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 him…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyThe Arab World in the 115th Congress: A Review
Jan 30, 2019Marcus MontgomeryThe 115th Congress was largely deferential to President Trump on policies related to the Arab world, but the 116th is likely to challenge him on important issu…
- Viewpoint
EgyptUS Foreign PolicyPompeo in Cairo: Not a Force for Good
Jan 10, 2019Imad K. HarbWith 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.
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLibyans Should Decide Their Own Future: An Interview with Hani Shennib
Nov 20, 2018Imad K. HarbThe failure to address the root causes of the Libyan conflict is the main reason why Libya has not arrived at a peaceful resolution to its ongoing troubles.
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Domestic Politics and ElectionsThe 2018 Midterm Elections: What Do They Mean for the Middle East?
Nov 1, 2018Marcus MontgomeryPresident Trump is potentially days away from being handed a divided Congress; a Democratic-led House could challenge Republican orthodoxy over US policy regar…
- Viewpoint
IraqRegional Relations and GeopoliticsRussian Gains Are American Losses in the Arab World
Oct 30, 2018Imad K. HarbPutin’s assessment of a receding American international influence paves the way for an even larger Russian role in the Arab world.
- Research Paper
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceRegional States and Egypt’s Democratic Transition
Oct 25, 2018Imad K. HarbQatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were the most influential external actors in Egypt’s transition to democracy and its reversal after the 2011 …
- Policy Analysis
MoroccoJustice, Equality, and Human RightsAssessing Morocco’s Human Rights Picture: Constitutional Reform May Not Be Enough
Oct 11, 2018Charles W. DunneWhile Morocco’s constitutional changes were meant to limit the powers of the absolute monarchy, the Moroccan king remains the final arbiter of the political sy…
- Policy Analysis
LevantInternational LawArab Leaders Return from New York with Little to Show
Oct 4, 2018Joe MacaronRepresentatives of Arab governments delivered their remarks at the United Nations General Assembly last week. A review of the 16 speeches shows that they focus…
