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Attiya Ahmad is Georgetown University’s 2009-10 Center for International and Regional Studies Post-Doctoral Fellow. She recently completed her PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. Dr. Ahmad’s work brings together scholarship on Islamic studies, globalization, diaspora and migration studies, economic anthropology, and political economy.
Pezeshkian in New York and Khamenei’s moment of truth
Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, arrived in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly amid both widespread skepticism and a small dose of hopeful anticipation about his message to the world. In the end, he landed somewhere in the middle. The question now is how much leeway Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his foot soldiers in the Revolutionary Guards will give Pezeshkian in an attempt to start a new chapter.
The two leading presidential candidates in America’s 2024 election have made statements and established track records on the Middle East based on their time in office. This document aims to highlight the most important and reliable positions staked out by former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris.
Rethinking Democracy Ep. 4: China's Growing Presence in the Middle East with F. Gregory Gause and Jon Alterman
China has made significant inroads in the Middle East through diplomacy, trade, investment, and infrastructure projects. Beijing advertises the benefits of its authoritarian development model and presents itself as a responsible alternative to the United States. What does this mean for MENA autocracies? Gregory Gause and Jon Alterman join Gonul Tol to discuss China’s growing presence in the Middle East.
رد فعل سريع للدفاع: إسرائيل توسع أهدافها الحربية لتحييد حزب الله
In the latest installment of the Defense Rapid Reaction series, experts from MEI’s Defense & Security Program provide their views on the likely evolution of the Israeli-Hezbollah war, the potential for the conflict to draw in outside actors, as well as the impact of the war on global terrorist recruitment and appeal for extremist activities.
Hezbollah and Iran’s calculus as the conflict with Israel heats up
The deadly, back-to-back pager/two-way radio attacks against Hezbollah, which killed dozens and wounded thousands of its operatives, undoubtedly signaled a new phase in the intense cross-border exchanges between the group and Israel.
In a high-risk move, Israel ramps up escalation against Hezbollah
Over the past few days, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has entered a precarious new phase, with Israel carrying out both unconventional attacks and heavy airstrikes against the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, while Hezbollah has responded with an increase in retaliatory fire.
Navigating the shadows: Afghanistan’s terrorism landscape three years after the US withdrawal and its international implications
Three years since the US and allied withdrawal from Afghanistan, the facts on the ground challenge some more optimistic depictions of the Taliban’s counterterrorism cooperation with the US, al-Qaeda’s reemergence, or the capacity of ISKP to direct external attacks that could threaten American interests.
المرشحون المستبعدون والمعارضة المهمشة قبل الانتخابات الرئاسية التونسية
قبل أن يدلي الناخبون التونسيون بأصواتهم في الانتخابات الرئاسية في 6 أكتوبر/تشرين الأول، كانت المؤسسات الحكومية قد أدلت برأيها بالفعل. فقد قامت أجهزة الأمن والسلطات القضائية والهيئة العليا المستقلة للانتخابات (ISIE) إما بعرقلة أو منع أكثر من عشرة مرشحين محتملين من الترشح. ومن بين المرشحين الثلاثة المؤهلين الذين وافقت عليهم ISIE رسمياً، لم يبق خارج السجن سوى الرئيس قيس سعيد وزهير مغزاوي، أحد مؤيدي سعيد السابقين. تم اعتقال المرشح عياشي زامل في 6 سبتمبر. حاول العديد من المرشحين المحتملين الآخرين الترشح من السجن أو تم سجنهم بتهمة انتهاك تقني لقوانين الانتخابات. من خلال تقييد قائمة المرشحين المحتملين فعليًا إلى اثنين، تبنّت مؤسسات الدولة دورها الأبوي والتحديثي التاريخي تجاه مواطنين لا يثقون بها.
As the U.S. leaves Iraq, it can’t leave the door open for ISIS
After more than six months of talks, the United States and Iraq look set to announce a significant agreement stipulating that the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition will withdraw entirely from the country over the next two years.
