Revisiting Marshall: Private Sector Development in the Middle East
When the Arab Spring began in late 2010 in Tunisia, and then quickly spread to Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Syria, it was hailed as a historic moment of transformation for the Middle East region. The transition from authoritarianism to new more representative government that had occurred in Europe, Latin America and parts of Asia since […]
Geneive Abdo and Ellen Laipson Testify in Front of Canadian Parliament
On February, 5, 2015 Geneive Abdo and Ellen Laipson of the Stimson Center were called to provide testimony before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in the House of Commons of Canada to discuss the rise of ISIL, also known as ISIS and IS. To read a transcript of the testimony click here. Testimony […]
The Escalating Shi’a-Sunni Conflict: Assessing Arab Public Attitudes
Sectarianism has been a driving force of conflict in the Middle East for many years. From Iraq to Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain, conflict and confrontations between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims are on the rise. The emergence of extremist groups such as Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State has further deepened this divide. Each of […]
Geneive Abdo and Lulwa Rizkallah’s op-ed in The National Interest on the attack in Lebanon
The attack occurred two days after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech accusing the al Nusra Front of being linked with Israel. It would not be far-fetched to interpret this Nusra Front attack as a direct response to Nasrallah’s statements and to Hezbollah’s deep involvement in the Syrian conflict, which has been crucial for […]
Ellen Laipson quoted in Diplomatic Courier on Syria’s leaders
Although Iran has claimed that the aims of its nuclear program are peaceful, these statements have not been viewed as credible in the West. These fears worsened in 2012 after reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Iran was producing uranium enriched at a 20 percent level. As talks regarding Iranian […]
Geneive Abdo on upcoming CUNY TV broadcast
From the crisis in Iraq and Syria to the tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the struggle between Sunni and Shi’i groups for dominance is tearing apart the region and shows no signs of abating. How does sectarianism fit into a larger narrative of the Middle East? How have governments manipulated sectarian differences? And finally, […]
Abdullah’s Real Legacy
When the recently deceased Saudi king, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, was crown prince, Western capitals worried that, when he eventually assumed the throne, Abdullah would be focused on internal Arab identity issues and would be less friendly or flexible when it came to outside powers’ priorities, such as regional security. His legacy will turn out […]
Geneive Abdo quoted in LA Times on Iranian interests in Yemen
A second consecutive day of violence in Yemen’s capital raised fear of deepening instability in a nation regarded as pivotal to Washington’s counter-terrorism efforts in the Middle East. -snip- Iran has no interest in creating a power vacuum in Sana that would leave the capital, and the country, more vulnerable to Al Qaeda-style Sunni militants, said […]