Building civil society institutions in post-authoritarian regimes

by Ahmed E, Souaiaia* Regardless of what would happen in the next months, the year 2011 will enter the history books as the breakthrough year for Arab societies. On January 14, 2011, the Tunisian people ended the reign of a ruthless dictator and with it ended fear. The Tunisian revolution soon inspired peoples of other Read more

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Diplomatic Hemorrhage: US administration’s need for forward-looking policy

by A. E. SOUAIAIA It was a mistake for President Obama to call Husni Mubarak on the fourth day of the Egyptian revolt, after nearly 100 people have died, to advise him for anything else but to step down and let a transitional leadership prepare for fair, transparent, and pluralistic elections. Instead, his reaching out Read more

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Clinton’s lack of diplomatic acumen diminishes US foreign policy

by A. E. SOUAIAIA* It is true that Obama, as president, is the person responsible for foreign policy initiatives. However, it is the secretary of state who implements the vision of the administration and communicates it to foreign leaders in nuanced language that, at times, would seem as if it were a code. Hillary Clinton, Read more

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Citizens of western countries killed in Tunisia as Ben Ali dismisses a general

As the number of people killed by Ben Ali’s security forces rises, victims’ family have reported that some of the fallen are citizens of European nations. The French Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that one of the victims killed in the central Tunisian town of Douz during Wednesday clashes was a dual French-Tunisian citizen. “We Read more

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Vim of Pride and Fear: Iran’s nuclear ambitions and global security

by A. E. SOUAIAIA Two matters are intimately connected: security and economic power. How countries leverage economic power to maintain security and how security is used as pretext for monopolizing power show the interconnectedness of economic development and global security. For the three cases that I will examine (North-South Korea, India-Pakistan, and Iran-West standoffs), I Read more

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