Following the protests and upheaval throughout the Arab world, Syrians took to the streets beginning on March 15, demanding a more responsive and democratic government. What happens in Syria in the coming months will play a critical role in the future of the region.
The United States must engage in a careful balancing act to maintain both its expressed commitment to Arab democracy and its commitment to its relationship with Israel.
Five years after the adoption of the new Iraqi constitution, the status of Kirkuk remains a flashpoint that threatens Iraq’s future stability.
In his speech in response to the Arab Spring, President Obama indicated that the United States will seek to avoid being trapped into false trade-offs between stability and supporting repressive regimes, describing a significant shift in U.S. policy toward the region.
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.
While President Obama’s speech on the Middle East expressed support for the dramatic changes going on in the region and compared those changes with the U.S. experience of nonviolent civil disobedience, it did not set out any bold policy shifts.
Yemen's power structures are under great strain as the political elite struggles to adapt to nationwide demands for a more responsive and inclusive government. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states will play a critical role in Yemen's future.
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.
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.