by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Algeria was destined to become an African powerhouse. The largest country in the continent, it is populated by only 39 million people but endowed with huge natural resources: 159 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and 12.2 billion barrels of proven natural gas and oil reserves, respectively, and vast expanses of land, Read more
Continue ReadingBy Sumeyye Pakdil * see key below Turkey has been occupied with a corruption scandal and the recent split between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen, a prominent religious figure who leads a worldwide Sunni movement named after him. Arguably, this split dates back to the government’s decision to close all school preparation Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Riding the wave of protests known as the Arab Spring, many Syrians rallied to demand more political and civil rights. Without the hesitancy that characterized their initial reaction to the protest movements in Tunisia and Egypt, Western administrations and some of the Persian Gulf regimes immediately threw their support behind the Read more
Continue ReadingThe new Saudi anti-terrorism law is anti-dissent, anti-civil rights draconian law? by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* For weeks even before President Obama’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, the rulers of Saudi Arabia have worked hard to make the summit successful. They knew that extremism, regional stability, and the Middle East peace process are high on the U.S. Read more
Continue Readingby Jacob Havel Afghanistan Sitting Afghani President Hamid Karzai remains defiant towards U.S. demands that he sign the Bilateral Security Agreement. If signed, the agreement would allow for continued military cooperation between Afghanistan and the U.S.+NATO including troop presence, monetary aid, and continued training of Afghani security forces. While many see Western aid as vital, Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* 8 years in prison for tweeting in support of a demonstration Days after recalling its top diplomats from Qatar, Saudi Arabia published a list of organizations and activities that are deemed criminal and prohibited Saudi citizens and residents from joining or supporting such organizations. The two events might appear to Read more
Continue ReadingA. F. al-Sisi by Jared Ethan Krauss IN a move that surprised everyone not in Sisi’s circle, the cabinet has resigned. The move comes as, in recent weeks, criticism and protests of the interim government have grown. Egypt has seen no economic improvements since the revolution, and violence has only increased since the ouster of Morsi. Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Two rounds of indirect talks between representatives of the Syrian government and some representatives of the Syrian Coalition have failed to launch a political dialogue to end the deadly crisis in Syria, now entering its fourth year. The failure was expected. Members of the opposition forces did not represent even Read more
Continue Readingby Ahmed E. Souaiaia* President Obama On the same day when Saudi Arabia issued a royal decreecriminalizing Saudi citizens’ participation in the war in Syria (or joining Jihadi groups), the White House confirmed that President Obama will be visiting the Kingdom in March. It seems a reasonable assumption that during this visit, Obama will Read more
Continue ReadingBreaking the Cycle: Could Iranian and U.S. officials overcome their mutual distrust? by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Rafsanjani and Khatami After inking an interim agreement at the end of 2013, Iran and the P5+1 must now finalize a final nuclear agreement within six months. If they fail, U.S. and Iran will relive the cycle of mutual Read more
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