Reports coming out of Morocco and Jordan are both encouraging and frustrating. Both Morocco and Jordan have been beset for months by growing popular demands for political, economic and social reform, after Arab uprisings overthrew leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and shook other regional states. However, unlike other Arab states witnessing popular uprisings, demonstrations […]
The advance of Libyan rebels into Tripoli, as arduous as it was, is only the beginning. The real test for Libyan independence will be in the steps it takes to secure the state. Foremost will be steps to incorporate all Libyans into not only a political future, but also an economic one. As the minutes […]
Amidst the protests, loss of life, and apparent lack of progress in the uncoordinated Arab Spring, a glaring issue has arisen in each state affected by the wave of tumult: there is an absence of charismatic leadership in support of the revolution. Use of violence to consolidate the revolution and move beyond the narrative of […]
For followers of Islam, Ramadan is the holy month that marks the revelation of the first verses of the Koran to the Prophet Mohammad and is a time of fasting, contemplation, and charity. As the Arab Spring continues to progress through 2011, many wondered what effect Ramadan would have on the protests. On the one […]
Robin Wright of the US Institute of Peace has a new book on the role of culture in both reflecting and inspiring this year’s uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa. Rock the Casbah, released earlier this month by Simon & Schuster, “chronicles the new order being shaped by youth inspired revolts toppling leaders, clerics repudiating […]
Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East have brought to the forefront the fragility of government institutions and have questioned the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes in a number of developing nations. The right form of governance for the right society has never been easy to identify. A lot of times, societies have adopted […]
This week the members of the G8 will hold their annual meeting in Deauville France, to discuss issues ranging from non-proliferation and counter-terrorism to the internet and transatlantic cocaine trafficking. Although these are all very important issues, the only agenda topic that matters is the ‘Arab Spring’ and how some of the eight wealthier nations […]
President Obama’s speech on Thursday was designed to introduce a symbolic redefinition of American policy in the Middle East. Assuring his international audience that an ever-changing world demands continued leadership, his words ushered in a new chapter of American diplomacy.
Twilight on the corniche in Beirut in February The chatter in the news and on Twitter today is about President Obama’s big speech on the Middle East at the State Department tomorrow. What will he say? There is no question this is a serious opportunity to get the Arab Spring back on track. It has veered […]
What a difference a few days make. Since writing my post on the demonstrations in Tunisia on Wednesday, President Ben Ali went from claiming that only terrorists and fanatics were protesting to announcing that he would not run for re-election when his current term expires in 2014. He also assured the population that […]