Middle East & Africa
Donald Trump’s Jerusalem Move Scuttles Middle East Peace Process
US President Donald Trump is notorious for taking widely infamous and clearly dangerous policy decisions driven by ego-centrism and parochialism, the latest addition being...
A World Of Denial
We live in a world of denial: The Burmese deny the Rohingya; they call them Bengali even though they have lived in Burma for...
US-Saudi nuclear talks: A barometer for whither the Middle East?
Talks aimed at transferring US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia serve as an indicator of where the Saudi-Iranian rivalry is heading as well as...
Arab anger: Governments and protesters walk a fine line
A little noticed subtext to furious protests across the Middle East and North Africa against US President Donald J. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as...
A new war in the Middle East?
In the Middle East, a new stormy confrontation may emerge. After the ISIS militants’ defeat and the beginning of a political settlement in Syria,...
The ‘Why’ Of the Embassy Move to Jerusalem: ‘Nose to Nose With a Con Man’
The Jerusalem story is the centerpiece of news this week. Donald Trump and Mike Pence, an evangelical, in favor of moving the embassy and...
Zarrab Case: Strong Signal of Change for Turkish Foreign Policy
During three investigations held by İstanbul Public Prosecutor between 17-25 December 2013, various people including businessmen, bureaucrats, and government officials were subjected to operations...
Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem: Letting a genie out of the bottle
US President Donald J. Trump has let a genie out of the bottle with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and intent to...
Qatari Wahhabism vs. Saudi Wahhabism and the perils of top-down change
A multi-domed, sand-coloured, architectural marvel, Doha’s biggest and national mosque, symbolizes Qatar’s complex and troubled relationship with Saudi Arabia. Its naming six years ago...
Egyptian President Al-Sisi steps up repression to cover policy failure
Egyptian general-turned-president Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi would likely be the first to admit that an iron fist is no guarantee for retaining power. Not because...