Rebecca Anne Proctor is an independent journalist, editor, author, and broadcaster based in Dubai and Rome, from where she covers the Middle East and North Africa. She is the former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar Art and Harper’s Bazaar Interiors.
The Latest from Rebecca Anne Proctor
Time to Reconsider Jordan’s Nuclear Program
Amidst great excitement, Jordan signed a $10 billion agreement with Russia to construct the country’s first nuclear power plant in March 2015. Chairman of Jordan’s Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Khalid Toukan confidently asserted, “We aim to build a state of the art nuclear power plant that will be a showcase for the region.” Promising cheap energy, Toukan assured that nuclear power is the optimal way forward.
Disaster Diplomacy for Asia and the Middle East
This essay provides a brief look at the Philippines experience as a means of highlighting the interplay between disaster risk reduction and politics with regard to disaster diplomacy across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions and beyond.
Egypt and Hamas—Cooperation in the Works?
Egypt, which enjoys friendly relations with both the Palestinian Authority and Israel, understands that it must normalize relations with Hamas to be able to act as a mediator between the three parties. The Egyptian government, which has yet to achieve convincing results in the fight against terrorist groups in Sinai, is also in need of Hamas’ cooperation in this area.
Violence and the Contradictory Coexistence of Peace and Conflict in the Asia Pacific Region
This essay explores the making of a “dominant identity,” a political mechanism that serves only one purpose: maintaining a state’s hegemony. Discussing the current crisis in the South China Sea and reflecting on the 1956 Suez crisis, it explores strategies used by “mighty” states to build coalitions, and asks why some international actors cannot submit to the standard of a peaceful social life they claim to support.
Monday Briefing: Responding to Orlando, ISIS in Libya, and Hamas-Fatah Meeting
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI chairman Richard A. Clarke responds to the mass shooting in Orlando, and Charles Lister and Antoun Issa provide analysis on events including the pushing back of ISIS in Libya and the upcoming meeting of Hamas and Fatah.
What To Do, and What Not To Do, to Stop the Next Orlando
Richard A. Clarke, Chairman of the Board of Governors
Saudi-Israel: Mistaken Hopes for an Alliance
For several years, Israeli-Saudi collaboration over regional geostrategy to check Iranian influence has been the worst kept secret in the Middle East since the advent of Israel’s robust nuclear arsenal. Still, public coordination has been taboo, and while indirect, and even direct, coordination may be taking place behind closed doors, no official relationships can develop. This, of course, is due to the history between the state of Israel and the Arab world.
Learning from Deaths in Disasters: The Case of Odisha, India
In 1999, Odisha, India was struck by a super cyclone featuring an unprecedented storm surge and torrential rainfall that resulted in widespread devastation and a substantial loss of life. Fourteen years later, the same area was hit by Cyclone Phailin, which despite its severity, claimed relatively few lives. This essay examines the reasons for the starkly different death tolls and considers what lessons could be drawn from the responses to these two disasters.
Afghanistan Is About to Cut A Bad Deal with a Bad Guy
Read the full article on The National Interest.
