Mosul highlights ‘post-conflict bipolar disorder’
What the Mosul operation should be making obvious is that whoever gets to the gaps in governance and civil society first and best will win the epic struggles of identity… Read more »
Spotlight on Egypt’s repression
In theory, Egypt’s Public Prosecution should be an independent, impartial institution, defending the rights of all Egyptians before the law, notes a new report from the Project on Middle East… Read more »
‘Countering violent extremism’ – challenges and responses
Violent extremism is caused primarily by religious ideology more than racism, poverty, military interventions by foreign governments and human rights abuses, according to a new global poll published this week… Read more »
Resurgent authoritarians threaten liberal democracy
Liberal democracy is facing a growing threat from authoritarian regimes, says Carl Gershman, president of the National Endowment for Democracy. “Russia, China, and Iran are asserting their power in a… Read more »
Ethiopia pullout aids comeback by Somalia’s Al-Shabab
The resurgence of Al-Shabab, Somalia’s Islamic extremists allied to al-Qaida, could affect Somalia’s plans to hold elections next month and further destabilize what is already one of the world’s most… Read more »
West’s ‘China fantasy’ a conceptual failure and strategic blunder
A top-level meeting of the ruling Chinese Communist Party has endorsed President Xi Jinping as a “core” leader, giving him equal billing with late supreme leaders Deng Xiaoping and Mao… Read more »
A post-ISIS recovery plan for Syria?
With the Iranians and the Russians fully backing Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, it’s clear that the chances of regime change anytime soon are zero. Assuming that Raqqa will be liberated… Read more »
Does culture affect foreign policy – and democratization?
Western ideas—which many in the West believe are universal—collide with the ideals of Middle Eastern societies in ways that aren’t always obvious, argues Steven Cook, a Fellow for Middle… Read more »
Jordan: redefining civil society
A younger generation of educated activists in Jordan is attempting to navigate the middle ground between maintaining the status quo and pushing for regime change – neither of which is… Read more »
Why populism is not fascism
It is a mistake to conflate populism and fascism: populism is a symptom of democracy in trouble, while fascism and other revolutionary movements are the consequence of democracy in crisis,… Read more »