Geneive Abdo quoted in Quartz on the Shia Narrative
The two powers of the Middle East, Iran and Saudi Arabia, are in the midst of a diplomatic row with roots that go back more than 1,300 years. -snip- Ali was assassinated in 661AD as a civil war in Islam brewed. This disagreement culminated in the battle of Karbala—in modern day Iraq—where Sunni rulers killed Mohammed’s […]
Nimr Execution Is Latest Unforced Error For Saudi Arabia
The shocking news that Saudi Arabia executed 47 people over the weekend, including Shiite cleric and opposition figure Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, got the new year off to a tense start in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The executions have already caused a worsening of Saudi-Iran relations and foreshadow heightened sectarian-driven tensions across the […]
Ellen Laipson’s Op-Ed In World Politics Review On The Islamic State
President Barack Obama’s oval office speech Sunday was intended to show toughness and resolve in the war against the self-declared Islamic State, and to reassure a jittery public in the aftermath of the domestic attack by followers of the group in San Bernardino, California. At the end of his remarks, however, he reminded Americans to […]
Ideas But No Consensus For Long-Term Strategies Against Islamic State
By Ellen Laipson: A somber weariness has settled in across Western democracies in the aftermath of the Paris attacks. Defeating and destroying the so-called Islamic State with military force has won broader support. But most realize that the challenge will require a complex set of policy responses, far beyond aerial bombardments to liberate territory controlled […]
Ellen Laipson’s Op-Ed In World Politics Review On Long-Term Strategies Against Islamic State
A somber weariness has settled in across Western democracies in the aftermath of the Paris attacks. Defeating and destroying the so-called Islamic State with military force has won broader support. But most realize that the challenge will require a complex set of policy responses, far beyond aerial bombardments to liberate territory controlled by the group […]
Gordon Adams’s Op-ed in Foreign Policy on France and Islam
Once again, a violent jihadi terrorist attack has hit France, this time with at least 450 victims, 129 of them fatal. Rallying around the French flag, even pasting it over our Facebook avatars, follows, because an attack on European soil somehow “exports” the war in the Middle East to our front doors. We remember and […]
At G-20 Summit, Economics Overshadowed by Paris Attacks
World leaders from the 20 top economies as well as observer states met Sunday and Monday in southern Turkey for the annual G-20 summit. The gathering had been set to focus on an ambitious agenda to promote inclusive economic growth and global trade and investment. The terrorist attacks in Paris, however, overshadowed the meetings and […]
Ellen Laipson’s Op-ed in World Politics Review on Gulf States Forging National Identity
Since launching the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman have pursued dual and sometimes dueling objectives. Collectively the six countries profess to share the strategic goal of integrating their economic, security and even political policies. But individually, each of these relatively young states continues to […]