Middle East & North Africa
Exporting the Ivory Tower

Exporting the Ivory Tower

This August, two prominent American liberal arts institutions opened educational outposts in decidedly non-liberal countries. The first is NYU Shanghai, the third addition to NYU’s self-proclaimed “Global Network University,” which also includes the main campus in New...

read more
Syria: Assad’s Empty Gestures, Empty Threats

Syria: Assad’s Empty Gestures, Empty Threats

Syrian President Assad insists that the apparent chemical-weapon attacks that have left upwards of 1,000 people dead in his country were committed by “terrorists,” as he calls the opposition. That’s his story and Russia and Syria are sticking to it. Meanwhile, Reuters...

read more
Foreign Policy Thin-Sliced (8/23/13)

Foreign Policy Thin-Sliced (8/23/13)

Egypt: A Peaceful State Rule by a Junta “We have this thing about us, that the Egyptian Army is untouchable,” [a woman named] Israa said. “So many want Egypt ruled with an iron grip,” she said. [But] “This is not us. … It’s not Egypt at all. We are not happy with...

read more
Washington and the Egyptian Tragedy

Washington and the Egyptian Tragedy

As in El Salvador, Nicaragua, East Timor, Angola, Lebanon, and Gaza in previous years, the massive killing of civilians in Egypt is being done with U.S.-provided weapons by a U.S.-backed government. As a result, the Obama administration and Congress are morally...

read more
Tunisia: Washington’s Grip Tightens

Tunisia: Washington’s Grip Tightens

Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda party. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.Cross-posted from Open Democracy. Part One Two years ago it was a Tunisian uprising that triggered the events in Egypt which brought down Hosni Mubarek. Now it is the Egyptian mass...

read more
Egypt’s Treacherous Road

Egypt’s Treacherous Road

Egyptians continue to find themselves in the throes of a revolution that began in January of 2011. Rarely are these easy periods for any nation, but now the darkness of oppression has brought the worst upon the people of Egypt. The recently deposed President Mohamed...

read more
The New Rules of the Game in Egypt

The New Rules of the Game in Egypt

Since deposing the country’s democratically elected government and rounding up supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s military has launched several bloody assaults on Islamist protesters and supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi. Its notorious August 14...

read more
Foreign Policy Thin-Sliced (8/16/13)

Foreign Policy Thin-Sliced (8/16/13)

Syrian Rebel-Force Futility “If a regular Syrian comes and asks me what we have given him, I don’t know what to say,” Ahmed said. Momentum Shifts in Syria, Bolstering Assad’s Position, Ben Hubbard, the New York Times Netanyahu, Agitator-in-Chief on Iran The amped-up...

read more