Tag: United States

Iran’s Election: Reality Versus the Dominant Narrative

/ Essays

The primary discourse on Iran’s politics obscures its nuanced reality through binary and inaccurate labels of “moderate” and “hardliner”; examining this framework reveals a deep Western insecurity about Iran’s and the Global South’s rising power

The Implementation Crisis—with Richard Falk

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International law scholar Richard Falk discusses international law and politics as they pertain to the ongoing genocide committed by Israel in Gaza and the wider Palestinian plight, in addition to UN reform.

U.S. Position on Gaza Risks Wider War in the Middle East

/ Essays

Just days before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan proclaimed a “quieter” Middle East, and, with faintly concealed satisfaction, declared how little attention he – and thus the nation – needs to devote to the region’s myriad geopolitical headaches.
But now, Israel’s war on Gaza has dragged the United States back to the Middle East, and the Biden administration finds itself sucked into the vortex of multiple regional flashpoints revolving around Gaza.  » Read more about: U.S. Position on Gaza Risks Wider War in the Middle East  »

The Saudi Gambit in Washington

/ Essays

Saudi Arabia is in a position to become a major international player but to sustain such a role it needs to consolidate its leadership in the Middle East.
The Arab Summit, which concluded in Jeddah last weekend, may well have just confirmed the Kingdom’s leadership of the Arab World. But now Riyadh needs to transform that into a regional leadership role.
Such a regional undertaking requires—in addition to taking the lead on the political settlement of the various crises that have plagued the region—the sagacious management of its relationships with both the United States and Israel.  » Read more about: The Saudi Gambit in Washington  »

The Biden Administration’s Road Ahead

/ Essays

Despite an expected change in the White House, how the new administration deals with the out-of-control COVID-19 crisis could help shed some light on an unclear future for the United States. 

Re-Engineering Regional Security

/ Midan

In the last half-century, Egypt has had to negotiate its way through the Arab–Israeli peace process, regional nuclear proliferation, and domestic political transition. What has it taught us?

Neither East Nor West

/ Essays

As the Covid-19 response of powerful states like the U.S. and China falters, it is also failing regions on the margins of great power politics, like Africa. It is time weaker states take a long look at their dependence on the world’s juggernauts for their own security.

America’s Shift to Online

/ COVID-19: Global Crisis

COVID-19 has introduced the concept of working from home to many who have never experienced it. But, different industry needs, varying family and gender roles, and a need for interaction may explain why it wasn’t already the norm.

Mobilizing Against Trump’s “Vision”

/ Q & A

Former Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Alkidwa explains the ways Palestinians are contesting the Trump plan for peace and how the Trump deal caters only to extremists on the Israeli and American right

An Iran Strategy Worth Fighting For

/ Tahrir Forum

U.S. and Saudi confrontations with Iran are causing proxy-warfare in weak or failing Arab states and escalating tensions in the Gulf, but there might still be a chance for diplomatic progress with the right combination of measures targeting Gulf-specific, regional, and international issues.

Preserving Kurdish Autonomy

/ Tahrir Forum

Divisions among the states vested in Syria are opening possibilities for Syria’s Kurds to secure greater protection for their autonomy.

Jordan at the Crossroads

/ Tahrir Forum

Jordan’s economic, demographic and geographic characteristics have left the country vulnerable to mass protests and external pressure that can only be overcome by a comprehensive reform program.