MEC - Egypt

Mutual Escalation in Egypt

Mokhtar Awad, Nathan Brown — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 18:35:25 +0000

Egypt may be upon a new and deadlier phase in which the extremists on each side fulfill their prophecies of a fight to the death between good and evil.

Radicalism in the Arab World

Marwan Muasher — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 16:35:34 +0000

Building stability and prosperity is going to take a lot more work than military strikes.

Triumph of the Bureaucracy: A Decade of Aborted Social and Political Change in Egypt

Amr Adly — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 12:50:50 +0000

The developing military-backed regime under Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signals the triumph of the Egyptian bureaucracy.

Has Egyptian President Sisi’s Approach in Sinai Failed?

Maha Yahya, Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Mohamed Khairat — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 08:05:52 +0000

The heavy crackdown in Sinai is being questioned after repeated attacks by armed groups in the peninsula.

Thinking Only About Security Is Not a Long-Term Solution

Richard Youngs — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:30:53 +0000

Without a stable political environment, democracy will not take root in the Middle East and North Africa. But thinking only about security is not a long-term solution either.

A Vacuum of Leadership in the Middle East

Marwan Muasher — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 21:59:30 +0000

The Arab world is facing a vacuum of leadership. It is a new era, one that still has unknown repercussions.

Egypt Is Open For Business, But Not For Reform

Michele Dunne — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 16:31:59 +0000

The question is whether Egypt can stabilize the country and attract foreign investment needed to enliven the economy, while repressing all criticism of government policies from inside or outside and abandoning any semblance of the rule of law.

The Coptic Church and Politics in Egypt

Georges Fahmi — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 18:32:14 +0000

The Church is trying to revive its former role as the sole political voice of Egypt’s Copts. But that position carries real risks for the Church and the country’s Christians.

The Right To Have Rights

Maha Yahya — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 13:15:11 +0000

Universal human rights can provide a framework through which the indivisibility of social, economic, political, and cultural rights may be argued and the struggle for these rights may take place.

Militaries, Civilians, and the Crisis of the Arab State

Yezid Sayigh — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 08:21:09 +0000

The civil-military relationship has proven central to the politics of many Arab countries, both those that underwent transition in 2011 and those that did not.

The Future of Big Business in the New Egypt

Amr Adly — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 15:42:11 +0000

Big business has been virtually excluded from recent stimulus plans designed to get Egypt’s wheels spinning after years in recession. However, long-term recovery and stabilization are quite dependent on the resumption of activities by large private enterprises, which still control key sectors of the economy.

Egypt’s Sisi and the Insurgency

Michele Dunne — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 16:56:44 +0000

The question is whether the scorched earth methods practised by Sisi and his government are helping to build legitimacy among the Egyptian population, or if they will fuel radicalisation and alienate large swaths of the public.

Is Libya a Proxy War?

Frederic Wehrey — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 17:01:04 +0000

In many respects, the war of narratives underway in Libya is a mirror of the polarization that is underway in the Gulf itself and in the broader Arab world.

U.S.-Arab Counterterrorism Cooperation in a Region Ripe for Extremism

Michele Dunne, Frederic Wehrey — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 17:40:08 +0000

Many Arab governments are fueling the very extremism they purport to fight and looking for U.S. cover. Washington should play the long game.

The Muslim Brotherhood and the Future of Political Islam in Egypt

Ashraf El-Sherif — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:03:55 +0000

The current turmoil in Egypt has cast shadows on the potential for Islamist integration as well as the regime’s ability to achieve political stability.

Egypt’s Conservative Nationalism: Discourse and Praxis of the New Regime

Amr Adly — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 09:09:39 +0000

Egypt has witnessed a tidal wave of conservative nationalism since June 30 that cuts across regime discourse on local politics, the economy, and foreign relations.

Egypt’s Resurgent Authoritarianism: It’s a Way of Life

Nathan Brown, Katie Bentivoglio — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 22:58:36 +0000

In the absence of parliament, the Sisi government is laying the foundation for officials to act with sweeping powers—and little accountability.

The Working Group on Egypt’s Letter to President Obama

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 13:44:04 +0000

There is great concern that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s rule is fueling radicalization. Violence and terrorism in Egypt have increased markedly since the July 2013 coup, as the regime continues to close off avenues for peaceful political dissent.

Avoiding Old Mistakes in the New Game of Islamic Politics

Nathan Brown — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 18:14:50 +0000

The U.S. leadership and foreign policy community are ill-equipped to understand the non-military aspects of the struggle against the Islamic State.

The New Arab Wars

Yezid Sayigh — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:51:42 +0000

An unprecedented number of Arab countries are in the midst of large-scale armed conflict. The patterns of these Arab wars are revealing new dynamics and impacts.

The Egyptian State and the Religious Sphere

Georges Fahmi — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 07:45:45 +0000

Egypt should include—rather than exclude—its diverse religious movements. In this bid for inclusion, such an approach would help curb violence and extremism and ensure stability.

The Military Economy and the Future of the Private Sector in Egypt

Amr Adly — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 10:08:10 +0000

The number and size of economic ventures carried out by affiliates of the Egyptian armed forces will have long-term negative effects on the future of Egypt’s private sector.

Backdrop to an Intervention: Sources of Egyptian-Libyan Border Tension

Frederic Wehrey, David Bishop, Ala’ Alrababa’h — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 22:16:02 +0000

Egypt and its Gulf backers need to end their harmful meddling in Libya’s affairs under the guise of counterterrorism. It is destabilizing both Libya and Egypt.

The Sisi Government’s Attempts to Win Over Egypt’s Civil Servants

Amr Adly — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 18:51:30 +0000

The setting of a minimum and maximum wage for Egypt’s civil service will help the system become more transparent and equal. But comprehensive reform is still needed.

The Arab Region at Tipping Point

Yezid Sayigh — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:23:40 +0000

The Arab states are at a tipping point. Some have already gone past it, while others must make hard choices if they are to avoid it.