April 14, 2011
Middle East and North Africa
The Amir’s TV Station
Qatar's Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani on December 2, 2010. (Louafi Larbi/Courtesy Reuters) The president’s meeting today with the Amir of Qatar offers a timely opportunity to take sto…
May 31, 2018
Women and Women's Rights
Around the world discriminatory citizenship and identification laws hinder women’s ability to fully participate in and contribute to economies. The majority of the estimated 2.4 billion people who la…
February 3, 2015
Education
This is a guest post by Amir Farokhi, CFR Term Member and COO, College Advising Corps. Imagine a leaking pipe is flooding your house. What would you do? You would patch it immediately. Yet, when it …
February 6, 2015
Middle East and North AfricaThe Obama administration is about to issue its formal "National Security Strategy," but recent testimony by the new Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken actually gives deep insight into what tha…
February 7, 2012
Middle East and North Africa
Once upon a time, progress toward Israeli-Palestinian peace was thought to require reform of Palestinian political institutions. Creation of the post of Palestinian Authority (PA) prime minister, sep…
March 29, 2011
Middle East and North AfricaIn National Review magazine, I write about which Arab regimes will reform and survive--and which will not. On balance, I argue that the Arab monarchies have a better chance than the fake "republics"…
January 6, 2011
Middle East and North Africa
Democracy Hits the Gulf
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed al-Sabah inspects an honour guard at Merdeka palace in Jakarta. (Supri Supri/Courtesy Reuters) When a news story says that an Arab prime minister nar…
May 12, 2011
The GCC: "Carefully Considered Reform" or Reactionary Politics?
Leaders of the Gulf Arab States pose for a photo before the opening session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh May 10, 2011. (Ho New/Courtesy Reuters) Little-noticed news from th…
March 16, 2011
Middle East and North Africa
What Comes Next in Bahrain?
Saudi Arabian troops cross the causeway leading to Bahrain in this still image from video on March 14, 2011. (Bahrain State TV/Courtesy Reuters) The current situation in Bahrain is disastrous. Effor…
February 16, 2011
Iran
Catching Up with the Middle East
People carry the body of a protester killed on Monday, February 14, 2011 in Bahrain. (Hamad I Mohammed/Courtesy Reuters) The Middle East has for decades seemed to be in permanent stasis, with little…