The appointment of another Algerian at the head of the organization is a tactical mistake for AQIM.
No community wants to feel it is being engaged with because it is a “problem”—a “difficulty” that has come from “outside.” Rather, they want to be recognized as integral to the society of which they are a part, and given assistance in order to excel—not because the establishment fears them.
A Biden administration is going to be expressing a lot of public dissatisfaction with different elements of the powers struggling for influence in the Middle East–and that will be a significant difference from the Trump era.
Saeb was a unique figure among Palestinian officials and negotiators with whom we dealt.
Turkey has begun to take steps toward a more coherent economic policy, but its outcome will ultimately be determined by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Egyptian military’s involvement in the economy has come at a high cost, contributing to underperformance in development and auguring a new ruling class of military officers.
The Egyptian military’s capture of state resources under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi depends on a poorly run state and the visible corruption of the former regime, auguring a new ruling class of military officers.
By pledging unconditional support to Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over Nagorny Karabakh, Turkey’s government is stretching its forces and its budget, but it’s also shoring up its base.
The discovery of hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean has raised tensions in the region. Europe must act to to prevent an actual war from breaking out between Greece and Turkey.
The much-vaunted announcement that Bahrain will normalize relations with Israel, hot on the heels of the United Arab Emirates, has been greeted with excitement in Western foreign policy circles. But true stability in the region is a long way off.