Ellen Laipson’s op-ed on Indian Ocean geopolitics is published in IBT
The Indian Ocean, sometimes called the maritime Silk Road, represents the profound linkages between the Middle East and a rising Asia. The trade and economic connectivity has been well understood for years. China, Japan and India rely heavily on oil from the Persian Gulf states, while a new economic interdependence has developed in manufactured goods, […]
Picture Perfect: The Economic Integration of North Africa
By Ghazi Ben Ahmed and Ellen Laipson – North Africa remains one of the least integrated regions in the world, which has considerable consequences for its development potential. Intra-regional trade hovers at a mere two to three percent of total trade (compared to intra-regional trade in Europe or Asia at over 60 percent of total), […]
Analyzing the 2013 Iranian Presidential Election
The Stimson Center and the Heinrich Boll Foundation co-hosted a panel discussion which focused on the results of the 2013 presidential election in Iran. Speakers included Dr. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, CEO of the Non-violent Initiative for Democracy and former deputy in the Iranian parliament; Cliff Kupchan, director for the Middle East at the Eurasia Group; Reinhard […]
Analyzing the 2013 Iranian Presidential Election
The Stimson Center and the Heinrich Boll Foundation co-hosted a panel discussion which focused on the results of the 2013 presidential election in Iran. Speakers included Dr. Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, CEO of the Non-violent Initiative for Democracy and former deputy in the Iranian parliament; Cliff Kupchan, director for the Middle East at the Eurasia Group; Reinhard […]
Geneive Abdo’s Op-Ed On Iran Election Is Published At Brookings
In the days before Iran’s June 14 presidential election, some Iranian commentators wrote that Iran’s foreign policy agenda will not change no matter who wins the poll due to United States and European Union sanctions. “The next Iranian president will not be able to revert to (Mohammed ) Khatami’s nuclear strategy because the nuclear file […]
Why Sunni-Shia Conflict is Worsening
When the influential cleric Yusuf al Qaradawi recently called on fellow Sunni Muslims to join the rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, he effectively called for the Sunni-Shia conflict in the Middle East to escalate in some countries and start anew in others. Qaradawi said he was not demonizing all Shia Muslims — but […]
Why Sunni-Shia Conflict is Worsening
When the influential cleric Yusuf al Qaradawi recently called on fellow Sunni Muslims to join the rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, he effectively called for the Sunni-Shia conflict in the Middle East to escalate in some countries and start anew in others. Qaradawi said he was not demonizing all Shia Muslims — but […]
Hezbollah’s Gamble in Syria
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, appeared to cross a Rubicon last week. In a defiant speech on May 25, he emphasized the Lebanese Shia militant group’s unbridled support for the Assad regime in Syria. In doing so, he lifted the veil of secrecy that had surrounded Hezbollah’s deepening involvement in Syria. Of course, Hezbollah’s […]