Middle East & Africa
Iranian-Syrian World Cup qualifier ripples far beyond the pitch
A nail-biting Iranian-Syrian World Cup qualifier has sent political ripples far beyond the Azadi Stadium’s soccer pitch in Tehran. In a boost for the...
Kurdish Referendum: More Military Threats to Independent Kurdistan
Despite the opposition of the central government in Baghdad, Kurdish political parties agreed to hold a referendum in the region on September 25th, 2017....
The Gulf crisis: Fighting it out down and dirty
In the three-month old Gulf crisis, nothing is too expensive or too down and dirty when it comes to buying influence, garnering soft power,...
Netanyahu Needs to Officially Condemn Discrimination For His Own Legacy, and Israel’s
Benjamin Netanyahu needs to publicly and officially establish Israel's policies on state-sanctioned discrimination or he will not only destroy his own legacy, but he...
Variations on a theme: The Gulf crisis settles into a family squabble
A three-month old crisis in the Gulf that has pitted Qatar against an alliance led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia has settled into...
Food for thought: UAE ambassador’s hacked mails feed crucial policy debates
The hacked email account of Yousef al-Otaiba, the influential United Arab Emirates ambassador in Washington, has provided unprecedented insight into the length to which...
Reducing Middle East tensions? Saudi-UAE moves hint at willingness to engage with Iran
Recent moves by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates suggest that the two Gulf states may be looking for ways to reduce tensions...
The Gulf crisis produces snail-pace social change and a dangerous arms race
A two-month old crisis pitting Qatar against an alliance led by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia is proving to be a double-edged...
Gulf media wars produce losers, no winners
Feuding Gulf states that have pumped millions of dollars into public diplomacy appear to have done better in damaging the reputations of their detractors...
The Gulf crisis: Qatar’s 2022 World Cup moves into the firing line
A French investigation into possible corruption in business deals related to Qatar’s winning of World Cup hosting rights moved the 2022 tournament a step...