Cuba and Egypt in the Face of US Hegemony: Why Different Outcomes?

In the year 2017, during my visit to Cuba, I met the famous Cuban media personality, Arlene Rodrigues, who has long experience in the field of media and who worked at one stage as a media advisor to Cuban leader Fidel Castro. In an interview with her, she surprised me by saying: Do you know Read more

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Full text of the list of demands submitted by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Egypt to Qatar

ISR comment: Four Arab States want Qatar to close down Aljazeera, a sign that the current crisis is in fact a reaction to and fear of the protest movements popularly known as the Arab Spring. It was on the pages of ISR that the role of Aljazeera in galvanizing social change in the Arab world Read more

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Is Qatar training Egyptian fighters in Idlib, Syria?

Qatar’s global media outlet, Aljazeera, reported that 200 Egyptian military officers and experts are now in Syria. The report, is based on a Lebanese source, came days after the Egyptian president, Abdulfattah al-Sisi, in an interview to Portuguese media, said that he supported the Syrian national army in its war on terrorists. This seemingly new Read more

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Saudi and Qatari dilemma: Can they support al-Sisi in his war on ISIL and support ISIL in its war on Assad?

by Ahmed E. Souaiaia*   GCC   When Prince Salman became King Salman, world leaders wanted to know about the man now controlling the country that exports more oil than any other, Saudi Arabia. Several leading publications claimed that the 79 year old king suffers from serious chronic illnesses. The Economistproposed that his predecessor, King Read more

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“This is What the Arab Spring Looks Like”

Tunisia’s transition to representative governance brings hope to Arab Societies by Ahmed E. Souaiaia*   Four days after the fourth anniversary of the spark that ignited the fury of protests widely known as the Arab Spring, Tunisian voters reminded the world about what the Arab Spring is supposed to look like. The election of a Read more

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Obama in Saudi Arabia to talk security and terrorism; the Saudis seem prepared, but are they really?

The 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

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The Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi, Sisi, and the future of Egypt

A. 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

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How different are the new constitutions of Tunisia and Egypt?

How different are the new constitutions of Tunisia and Egypt? by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* The two countries transformed first by the Arab Spring now have new constitutions. The two countries are similar in many ways. Yet, the processes of producing their respective constitutions and the substance of each document point to the forces that made Read more

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Text of constitutional amendments: First three parts (articles 1-83) of Egypt’s constitutional amendments adopted by the 50-member committee

(Arabic Text) Part 1: The state Article 1 The Arab Republic of Egypt is a sovereign state, united, indivisible and inalienable. Its governance system is democratic and based on citizenship and the rule of law. The Egyptian people are part of the Arab world, work toward its integration and unification. Egypt is a part of Read more

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Morsi Trial Subverts Legitimacy

by Jacob Havel As the trial for deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi continues, his supporters and Egyptian military forces are both on high alert. Morsi has been charged with inciting violence and murder during large protests outside the presidential palace last December. Brotherhood leaders have called for and received massive protests over the trial, which Read more

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