Why the ‘Philadelphi Corridor’ May Derail a Gaza Deal
DEEP DIVE — A small sliver of territory lies at the heart of the desperate international effort to free Hamas’ remaining hostages, and bring at least […] More
Egypt
A Look Inside Hamas’s Weapons Arsenal
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — While hardly a match for the overwhelmingly cutting-edge and highly trained Israeli forces, Hamas’s competency on the battlefield lies not in weapons […] More
Allegations of Intimidation and Torture Stalk Sisi’s Egypt
Bottom Line Up Front Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi continues his crackdown on any dissent, real or imagined. Since anti-corruption demonstrations began in late […] More
Widespread Protests in Lebanon Transcend Sectarian and Political Divides
Bottom Line Up Front Late last week, Lebanon erupted in protests in response to the government’s attempt to impose a tax on the popular […] More
The Latest
Sisi Responds to Protests in Egypt With an Iron Fist
Bottom Line Up Front In late September, protests erupted throughout Egypt in response to the widespread and systemic corruption of the regime of Abdel […] More
Violent Protests in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front Iraq has been convulsed by growing protests this week over corruption, widespread unemployment, and the government’s inability to provide basic […] More
Protests Erupt in Egypt over Sisi’s Corruption
Bottom Line Up Front Exceedingly rare and courageous protests erupted throughout Egyptian cities this past weekend, with demonstrations against corruption. Corruption allegations claim that […] More
Against All Odds: Democratic Progress in Sudan
Bottom Line Up Front In a region where popular democratic revolutions have repeatedly been marginalized or crushed through force, Sudan appears to be on […] More
What is U.S. Policy in the Middle East?
Bottom Line Up Front The only consistency in the Trump administration’s Middle East policy has been to support autocratic regimes and strongmen, as it […] More
Designating The Muslim Brotherhood Will Yield Few Benefits
Bottom Line Up Front The Trump administration is reportedly considering designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Given the history of […] More
Sisi Consolidates Power in Egypt
Bottom Line Up Front On April 16, Egypt’s parliament passed amendments to the Constitution that provide President al-Sisi with a path forward to maintain […] More
More Arms, More Problems
Bottom Line Up Front Global arms sales are booming, with a spike caused by a years-long increase in spending from countries in the MENA […] More
The Toxic Half-Life of Strongman Rule
Bottom Line Up Front Time favors strongman regimes, as leaders alternate between stalling tactics, physical violence and belated promises of reform to attenuate protesters’ […] More
The Islamic State Will Live on Through Its Affiliates
Bottom Line Up Front Even after the collapse of the territorial caliphate in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State will live on through its […] More
The Growing Threat of Iranian Missiles
Bottom Line Up Front Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities enable it to project power while compensating for an otherwise modest conventional military capacity. Iran’s supply […] More
America’s Middle East Policy: A Force for Good or A Recipe for Chaos?
Bottom Line Up Front On January 10, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a speech in Cairo, Egypt that portrayed the U.S. as […] More
A Most Targeted Population: The Copts in Egypt
Bottom Line Up Front On November 4, Egyptian officials announced they had killed 19 militants in the aftermath of an attack on Coptic Christians […] More
The Forgotten Affiliate: The Islamic State in the Sinai
Bottom Line Up Front Although it receives less attention than the so-called Islamic State or IS franchise groups in places like Libya and Afghanistan, the […] More
Persistent ISIS Sinai Threat Drives Israel-Egypt Cooperation
Bottom Line: Relations between Egypt and Israel have often been referred to as a “cold peace,” but the emergence of mutual security threats over the […] More