Foreign Policy Blogs

Middle East & North Africa

Why is Saudi Arabia Targeting Yemen’s Future?

Why is Saudi Arabia Targeting Yemen’s Future?

The conflict has already resulted in 10,000 dead, including 4,000 civilians, while the UN estimates that 80% of the population is now in need of humanitarian assistance.

read more

New Debate on Wahhabism Threatens Saudi Arabia

New Debate on Wahhabism Threatens Saudi Arabia

A little-reported debate over the future of a strain of Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi creed could be a tipping point that destabilizes the whole country.

read more

An Independent Kurdistan under U.S. Protection?

An Independent Kurdistan under U.S. Protection?

An independent Kurdistan under U.S. protection would unite Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan as well as minority areas of Assyrians, Turkomans, Yezidi and others.

read more

The End of Extremism and the New Cold War

The End of Extremism and the New Cold War

Victory over the Islamic State in Mosul and Raqqa will bring about the demise of ISIS but fail to foster an end to the tensions and conflict in the region.

read more

Is Obama’s Syria Policy Defensible?

Is Obama’s Syria Policy Defensible?

Has Obama has been taking the “least bad” course on Syria? Reflecting on the last two decades of U.S. foreign policy interventions, the answer is yes.

read more

The Semantics of God in the Middle East

The Semantics of God in the Middle East

Nahed Hattar’s assassination sheds light on how social media is used as a weapon by the terrorists to promote their extremist ideologies.

read more

Muslim Democrats? Tunisia’s Delicate Experiment

Muslim Democrats? Tunisia’s Delicate Experiment

In May 2016, Ennahda—an Islamist party—did something fairly shocking: it disassociated itself from Islam, or, more specifically, from political Islam.

read more

Arab Spring Aftermath: Libya

Arab Spring Aftermath: Libya

The fall of Gaddafi destroyed the fragile post-colonial state which his iron-fisted rule had held together.

read more

Bringing Life to the Dead Sea

Bringing Life to the Dead Sea

Water can be an economic win-win agent and a ‘lubricant of peace,’ especially when basins transcend jurisdictional boundaries

read more

Unexpected Responses to a Massive Aid Program

Unexpected Responses to a Massive Aid Program

This week, Israel and the U.S. signed a $38 billion military aid package. It was controversial, but not necessarily for the reasons you would think.

read more

Stability in Libya Remains in Doubt

Stability in Libya Remains in Doubt

Many had hoped that the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011 would herald a new era for Libya. Yet, five years later, stability remains a long-off goal.

read more

Turkish and Egyptian Occupation in Iraq and Syria

Turkish and Egyptian Occupation in Iraq and Syria

After the defeat of ISIS, temporary Turkish and Egyptian occupation zones should be imposed in Sunni provinces of Iraq and Syria prior to partition.

read more

Sovereignty Strikes Back: Turkey’s Purge and International Silence

Sovereignty Strikes Back: Turkey’s Purge and International Silence

On July 15th, the world saw the consequences of the struggle between religious forces and the secular military contending for control of the Turkish state.

read more

Can the U.S. and Russia Work Together to Save Syria?

Can the U.S. and Russia Work Together to Save Syria?

While the U.S. and Russia are backing opposing sides in Syria, there are signs the two may join forces to combat ISIS and bring some relief to civilians.

read more

Libya: Still a Fractured Land

Libya: Still a Fractured Land

Disagreement over how money from the country’s oil, which represents 98% of government revenue, should be distributed is paralyzing Libyan peace efforts.

read more