Omar Samad and Marvin Weinbaum join host Alistair Taylor to discuss what to expect from the intra-Afghan talks underway in Doha, the ongoing violence on the ground in Afghanistan, and the challenges facing Afghan security forces as the US continues its troop drawdown.
On Sept. 13, Bahrain recognized Israel at a ceremony attended by US President Donald Trump at the White House. With the stroke of a pen, Bahrain became the fourth Arab state to have forged official ties with Israel, following in the footsteps of Egypt (1979), Jordan (1994), and most recently, the UAE (Aug. 13, 2020).
Jordan: US security assistance and border defense capacity building
The Department of Defense (DoD) border security assistance programs in the Middle East region have helped partner countries to defend their borders against terrorist militia groups and other transnational security threats in the region. These programs set the standard for how the US military can foster long-term stability in the Middle East, while gradually drawing down its presence in the region.
Towering Ambitions: Egypt and China Building for the Future
Over the past decade, Egypt and China — the former a traditional US partner and the latter America’s strategic competitor — have forged ever-deeper ties. During that time, Beijing has sought to leverage its relationship with Egypt to advance the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), while Cairo has looked to China as a critical partner in the revitalization of the Egyptian economy. Entering 2020, Egypt was one of the fastest-growing emerging markets, and the Sino-Egyptian economic relationship was thriving. However, the fallout from the pandemic could undermine Egypt’s recent success in restoring growth and regaining investor confidence. It could also test the resilience and delay the further expansion of Sino-Egyptian economic ties.
Are the treaties with the UAE and Bahrain in any way comparable to previous genuine milestones, like the agreements with Egypt and Jordan? Can we realistically see them as helping to lead the way to a brighter future, at least as far as Israel’s conflicts with its neighbors are concerned? The answer is almost certainly “not really.”
Escalation and Regional Risks in a New Karabakh War
Fierce fighting between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces represents a dramatic escalation in longstanding tensions, with the two countries on an all-out war footing following over a week of battle. Although the fighting has already dramatically eclipsed previous spikes in violence since the 1994 ceasefire, the most recent conflagration shows no signs of abating anytime soon, and raises the specter of even greater escalation among regional and global powers.
In the recently released Showtime documentary “Kingdom of Silence” by Alex Gibney and Lawrence Wright, I made the statement that with hindsight the U.S. may have been better off never having occupied Afghanistan. That comment has brought some questions and responses, so let me be clear about what I mean and why.
Monday Briefing: Will Washington risk a collapse in Iraq?
This week’s briefing on recent news and upcoming events in the region featuring Robert S. Ford, Gonul Tol, Paul Salem, Dr. Marwa Maziad, and Marvin G. Weinbaum.
Turkey, Russia and the escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh
On September 27, hostilities broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh (NK). Following several days of fighting, the region is now witnessing the worst escalation of tensions since the early 1990s. This time, Azerbaijan’s efforts are boosted by Turkey’s readiness to render robust military support.
حلقة 11: سيناريوهات صراع الرئاسة بين ترامب وبايدن — مع ناديا بلبيسي
– ماذا سيحصل إذا لم يكن هناك رابح في يوم الانتخابات؟ على ماذا ينص الدستور في تلك الحالة؟ هل فراغ سياسي وارد في واشنطن؟
– هل يمكن حقّاً ألّا يتنازل ترامب عن السلطة؟
– هل يمكن التلاعب بالتصويت عن طريق البريد؟
– لم غابت السياسة الخارجية كليّاً عن المناظرة؟ هل كان ذلك بقرار من المرشّحين؟ أم من مدير المناظرة من قناة فوكس؟
– من يقوم بتنظيم المناظرات الرئاسية في الولايات المتحدة؟ هل يمكن تعديل شكل المناظرة لمنع المرشحين من مقاطعة بعضهما؟ هل يمكن إجبارهما على الالتزام بذلك؟
– “تراجعوا واستعدّوا”: هذا ما قاله ترامب لمنظمة عنصرية فاشية تؤمن بالقومية البيضاء وتمنع النساء من الانضمام لصفوفها وتحثّ على العنف السياسي ضد خصومها – كيف يمكن أن يؤثر ذلك على الناخبين الأمريكيين؟
– قال بايدن بأن حركة “أنتيفا” اليسارية الراديكالية ليست منظمة، هل هذا الكلام صحيح؟ لمَ يريد ترامب تصنيفها كمنظمة إرهابية؟
– من أين تأتي أهمية معركة المحكمة الدستورية العليا؟ كيف يمكن أن تغيّر القاضية التي يريد ترامب تعيينها شكل الحياة في الولايات المتحدة، خصوصاً حياة المهاجرين والأقليات والنساء؟
What are the implications of the passing of Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Sabah?
With the announcement that Kuwait’s long-time ruler, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, had passed away, on Sept. 29, at the age of 91, the Gulf states lost their second senior statesman of 2020 following the death of Sultan Qaboos of Oman at the beginning of the year. Like Qaboos, Sheikh Sabah played an outsized role within the GCC as well as in regional and international affairs.
Fourteen years after the Palestinian pro-Islamist group Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in 2006, Palestinians may finally be returning to elections as a mechanism to resolve their differences and to present a unified legitimate national leadership. In a sign of progress toward reconciliation, Palestinian leaders met in person and over teleconference on September 3 and vowed to address threats to the Palestinian national movement. Most recently, President Abbas, addressing the U.N. General Assembly on September 25, declared that presidential elections would take place soon.The question now will be whether a unified Palestinian policy, means of accomplishing it, and a new leadership can be born in the coming six months.
