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The Arab Spring 10 years on
Middle East Institute
  • Podcast
  • The Arab Spring 10 years on

    Sahar Khamis, Sabina Henneberg, Karam Shaar, and Ibrahim Jalal join host Alistair Taylor to examine the legacy and impact of the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Syria ten years after the uprisings began.

    March 1, 2021

    The US-Morocco quid pro quo
    Photo by AFP via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • The US-Morocco quid pro quo

    The recent exchange of quid pro quos between the U.S. and Morocco has been handled well by both sides, despite the ritual carping to be expected from opponents of the quid and the quo.

    December 21, 2020

    Putting up a fight: Tunisia’s counterterrorism successes and failures
    A suicide attack targeted police on the main street of Tunisia's capital morning, wounding a civilian and several police personnel, a police officer at the scene told AFP. (Photo by Fethi Belaid / AFP) (Photo credit should read FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)
  • Analysis
  • Putting up a fight: Tunisia’s counterterrorism successes and failures

    Alongside a stalled economy and a messy political transition, the decade since the 2011 revolution has left Tunisia with an intermittent yet ferocious terrorism problem. The frequency of terrorist attacks highlights the dangers posed by an uncertain political environment, widespread economic problems, and regional instability. But the fact that they have become less deadly over time also seems to underline the improvements that successive governments have made to Tunisia’s security apparatus.

    December 16, 2020

    The Middle East and American Democracy’s Near-Death Experience
  • Commentary
  • The Middle East and American Democracy’s Near-Death Experience

    The fascination with the peaceful removal of leaders by a simple vote in the United States has always contrasted painfully with the inability of most Middle Eastern populations to do the same.

    December 8, 2020

    Intra-Party Democracy in Tunisia’s Ennahda: Ghannouchi and the Pitfalls of “Charismatic” Leadership
  • Analysis
  • Intra-Party Democracy in Tunisia’s Ennahda: Ghannouchi and the Pitfalls of “Charismatic” Leadership

    Rached Ghannouchi, president of the Islamist party Ennahda and speaker of Parliament, has been a voice of moderation and reason contributing to Tunisia’s incipient democratization. While there is much to praise in Ghannouchi’s stewardship of Ennahda, he should consider the pitfalls of longevity in power. This article examines the ongoing debate on Ennahda’s leadership crisis, considering it from the vantage point of intra-party democracy. 

    November 25, 2020

    Monday Briefing: Bracing for Tuesday and the interregnum
  • Commentary
  • Monday Briefing: Bracing for Tuesday and the interregnum

    This week’s briefing on recent news and upcoming events in the region featuring Paul Salem, Michael Sexton, Alex Vatanka, and Gerald Feierstein.

    November 2, 2020

    After successfully managing COVID-19, Tunisia gets back to its old problems
    Photo by Yassine Gaidi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • After successfully managing COVID-19, Tunisia gets back to its old problems

    Tunisia seems to have avoided the worst of the first phase of the global coronavirus crisis. And yet whatever the final tally of the pandemic might be, its consequences will only add to a host of existing problems that have beset the North African country in recent years, including political instability, a stalled economy, security threats, and financial woes.

    August 3, 2020

    Monday Briefing: Red lines and rising tensions in Libya
  • Commentary
  • Monday Briefing: Red lines and rising tensions in Libya

    In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Mirette F. Mabrouk, Robert S. Ford, Nazila Fathi, and Marvin G. Weinbaum provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including rising tensions in Libya, economic turmoil and anti-regime protests in Iran, and the Jordanian high court’s decision to dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood.