MEC - Levant

Ten Years after Hariri’s Death, Are Lebanon’s Sunnis Still Leaderless?

Mario Abou Zeid — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 13:10:29 +0000

Ten years after the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, the Sunni leadership vacuum in Lebanon has yet to be filled.

A Dead Hostage is More Valuable to ISIL

Mario Abou Zeid — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 14:02:59 +0000

The value of hostages to the Islamic State depends on the potential for their execution to be exploited.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Role in Syria

Raphaël Lefèvre — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:10:00 +0000

The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood had been in exile for a long time, so it had to work very hard to gain a measure of influence on the Syrian uprisings.

ISIS Claims American Hostage Killed in Airstrikes

Lina Khatib, Andrew Liepman, Borzou Daragahi, Jeremy Herb — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 10:17:18 +0000

The Islamic State says that a female American hostage in Syria has been killed during a Jordanian airstrike.

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.

Jordan’s Role in the Fight Against ISIS

Marwan Muasher — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 16:31:32 +0000

A strategy of political openness and economic opportunity must be put hand-in-hand with the military campaign against the Islamic State.

Engaging in Politics, Assad-Style

Yezid Sayigh — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 12:22:56 +0000

The Assad regime’s belief that, by hanging tough, it will compel the United States both to accept its terms and make its regional allies follow suit is a high-risk gamble.

Jordan's Executions of Jihadists Could Backfire

Lina Khatib — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 12:20:18 +0000

Jordan’s revenge marks a major shift in the war against the Islamic State and is likely to change the nature of the actors in the Syrian conflict.

Syria: The Ultimate Example of Cynical Realpolitik

Marc Pierini — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 11:51:07 +0000

Undoubtedly, the Syrian civil war will find its place in the history books as the ultimate example of cynical realpolitik.

What’s the Future of Jordan’s Involvement in IS Fight?

Lina Khatib — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 10:20:24 +0000

Jordan is currently calling for intensified strikes against the Islamic State in response to the execution of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh.

Jordan’s War With ISIS

Marwan Muasher — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 21:26:13 +0000

The fight against the Islamic State is an ideological battle as much as it is a military one.

Building a Better Post-Oslo Era

Nathan Brown — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 19:30:20 +0000

The United States and Europe should encourage Israeli and Palestinian leaders to use international organizations and law as an alternative to violence.

Lebanese Presidential Elections

Mario Abou Zeid — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 16:12:27 +0000

Eight months of continuous presidential vacuum is bad news for the future of Lebanon’s democracy and stability.

Why ISIS Did Not Entirely Lose in Kobane

Lina Khatib — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 12:58:55 +0000

The Kurdish town of Kobane has been declared free of the Islamic State. But despite failing in its endeavor to control Kobane, the Islamic State is not a clear loser in this battle.

Jordan Finds ‘No Compromise Is Possible’ With Islamic State

Marwan Muasher — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 16:09:48 +0000

The Islamic State needs to be fought militarily, but the underlying causes of frustration and marginalization also have to be addressed.

Sarah Chayes’ Extended Interview With Jon Stewart

Sarah Chayes — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 17:53:45 +0000

From the Islamic State in Iraq to Boko Haram in Nigeria, corruption lies at the root of many of today’s international crises.

Jordan Caught Between Two Bad Situations

Marwan Muasher — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 20:29:58 +0000

Jordan’s participation in the fight against the Islamic State, particularly outside its borders, is problematic to some Jordanians. With the pilot hostage situation, the government is caught between two very bad situations.

The Emerging Jihadist Threat in Lebanon

Mario Abou Zeid — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 11:54:47 +0000

The Islamic State’s expansion in Qalamoun is not the real threat to Lebanon’s security—the Nusra Front’s attempt to gain more control along the Lebanese side of the border is.

ISIS Hostage Crisis: Jordan’s Fear of Internal Strife is Behind Decision to Release of Bomber Sajida al-Rishawi

Lina Khatib — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 09:26:29 +0000

Members of the Jordanian pilot’s tribe have protested in Amman, pressuring the government to agree to an exchange.

Sarah Chayes on Thieves Of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security

Sarah Chayes — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:58:55 +0000

Corruption acts as a thread tying recent frightening international security crises together.

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.

Why ISIS Keeps Expanding

Lina Khatib — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:39:56 +0000

More than four months after the start of an international airstrikes campaign against the Islamic State, the organization continues to expand—going beyond the geographical areas of Syria and Iraq.

Syria in 2015: Political Stalemate Again, or Compromise?

Yezid Sayigh — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 08:35:37 +0000

2015 begins with new proposals to resolve the conflict, but 2014 has shown that even dramatic geo-political and military changes can leave the conflict dynamic unaltered and the stalemate unbroken.

The Syrian Financial Sector

Joude Badra — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:47:40 +0000

While financial awareness and education have a long way to go before Syria’s financial sector can reach its true potential, the country was and remains underbanked and underinsured by all measures.

Why the Islamic State Will Continue to Exist in 2015

Lina Khatib — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 11:54:08 +0000

The Islamic State will continue to be a major actor in the Syrian conflict in 2015 and beyond. The organization’s mode of operation may change, but not the fact of its existence.