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Although the situation in Libya has attracted international attention, it is Egypt that must succeed—economically, first and foremost—if democracy in the Middle East is to have a chance.
Protest in Bahrain is not simply a domestic struggle for political rights and liberal reform; it is also a sectarian conflict between a Sunni monarchy in a majority-Shia country that is rapidly becoming part of a growing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Since an earthquake and subsequent tsunami damaged Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant, a growing number of Iranian opinion makers are arguing that Tehran's nuclear program is in fact endangering, not enhancing, the security and economic well being of its citizenry.
As the wave of popular uprisings across the Arab world spreads to Yemen, the country’s security situation will continue to deteriorate unless a campaign of sweeping political reforms is initiated immediately.
The United States should work with the EU and with Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s strong neighbor and largest donor, to ensure that Yemen’s President Saleh steps down and that the transfer of power is handled peacefully.
While the Egyptian opposition won some important battles over the content of the country’s new constitution, the transition process has been so confusing and opaque that their victories remain unnoticed.
Popular protests have spread across the Middle East and North Africa and have reached Iraq and Kurdistan. The political circumstances in these regions will determine whether the protests succeed in forcing the government to respond to the demands of its citizens.
While U.S. policy in Yemen has traditionally focused on counter-terrorism efforts, stability in Yemen depends on addressing other systemic problems facing the country, like corruption, unemployment, and the depletion of Yemen’s natural resources.
After a momentous two months, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood must now decide how to organize a political party, direct its political participation, and handle the emergence of a group of activist youth leaders.
The aim of U.S. diplomacy should be to reconcile Iran's nuclear ambitions with international concerns about proliferation and to address the broader issues raised by Iran's regional behavior.