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Almost four years later, the opportunity for political transition in the Middle East and North Africa seems to have narrowed.
As Tunisia prepares to enter a new phase in its process of democratization, two key challenges face the country’s government: the economy and security.
The tactics of decay and infiltration, used by the Algerian authorities when confronted with the Armed Islamic Group in the 1990s, could prove useful in countering the Islamic State’s threat in Syria and Iraq.
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.
Five distinct trends—not including theology or technology—explain the fatal attraction to the Islamic State. Understanding these trends is vital for winning the war against extremist ideologies.
The question is whether the scorched earth methods practiced by Sisi and his government are helping to build legitimacy among the Egyptian population, or if they will fuel radicalization and alienate large swaths of the public.
Washington needs to collaborate with its Arab allies to address the imminent threat from Islamic State. But it needs to do so while actively discouraging repression and pressing for policies in Arab states that meet the demands of the young generation that started the Arab Spring.
These days, area studies supported by Title VI of the Higher Education Act are in the crosshairs.
Tunisia ignited the Arab Spring nearly four years ago and has developed into a well-functioning society. But it remains in the grip of political instability and its economic recovery is frail.
This all-day conference examined the local and regional roots of the growing violence, fragmentation, and instability gripping the Middle East today.