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The Muslim Brotherhood’s tight control over the Freedom and Justice Party could produce tension between those seeking large numbers of votes for the party and others who wish to focus on fulfilling the Brotherhood's mission.
President Obama’s speech in response to the Arab Spring did not establish a clear foreign policy for the region, but rather outlined a vision of a democratic and prosperous Middle East.
The unprecedented change in the Middle East has created immediate challenges to maintaining social cohesion and macroeconomic stability. Over the longer-term, countries must define their own political, social, and economic transformations.
Five critical factors—none of which have to do with oil—explain why the United States and Europe are putting so much effort into bringing down Muammar Qaddafi in Libya and are so cautious in dealing with Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
President Obama needs to reengage in Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy by more clearly articulating U.S. positions on the key issues, thinking seriously about what incentives and disincentives the United States can offer both parties, and visiting the region as soon as possible.
While Washington should be worried about the increasing prominence of Anwar al-Awlaki, the popular Yemeni-American preacher, he won't supplant Osama bin Laden as the head of al-Qaeda and the leader of the global jihadi movement.
As the Arab people continue to demand change across the region, President Obama should acknowledge that the time when Western leaders could view the Arab world through the eyes of its rulers is over.
While al-Qaeda remains a global threat, regional changes and the erosion of government support have left it diminished. It is likely to be replaced by ideas and causes that are more aligned with the realities of the twenty-first century.
Qaddafi has released hundreds of jailed Islamist terrorists who are now poised to exploit the chaos in Libya and directly threaten the security of both Libya and the United States.
Efforts at reform in Jordan have been blocked by a resilient class of political elites and bureaucrats, who fear that such efforts would move the country away from a decades old rentier system to a merit-based one.