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September 26, 2013 Iran Responds to Obama’s UNGA Speech Iranian press closely associated with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) mocked President Barack Obama for his... September 25, 2013 Rouhani’s Corrupt Cabinet Co-authored by Saeed Ghasseminejad Most Western observers welcomed the end of former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s term with a sigh of relief, interpreting new p... September 19, 2013 Iran’s Strategy in Syria “We must possess Syria. If the chain from Lebanon to here is cut, bad things will happen,” former Iranian president Ali-Akbar... September 19, 2013 Turkey’s Strategy in Syria “The Assad regime has not lived up to any of its pledges, it has won time for new massacres and continues to do so,” said Turkish Prime Minister... September 19, 2013 Qatar’s Strategy in Syria Qatar seeks to turn its newfound energy riches into political power by tapping the strength of... September 19, 2013 Saudi Strategy in Syria Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, issued a direct order earlier this month: “... September 16, 2013 Egypt’s New Political Transition Egypt’s “Committee of the Fifty,” which serves as a constituent assembly, held its first deliberations last week to draft a new constitution. The meeting was a major milestone,... September 16, 2013 Iran’s New Defense Minister: A Track Record of Irregular Warfare The civil war in Syria has made it increasingly difficult for Iranian president Hassan Rouhani to claim that his country has embarked on a new or moderate path. Even if Rouhani is truly a moderat... August 27, 2013 Iran’s New Central Bank Chief President Hassan Rouhani this week... August 16, 2013 Hamas, Egypt and the “Rule of Holes” The rule of holes: when in one, stop digging. This proverb is apparently lost on the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The faction, which controls the Gaza Strip, has been under... August 14, 2013 Iran and African Uranium By Zachary Elkaim The Zimbabwean government recently issued a denial of a Times of London... August 13, 2013 Challenges Await Mali’s Next President While results are being tallied in Mali’s run-off elections, a ‘strong man’ appears poised to win the presidential elections. In the first round, former Prime Minister Ibrahim B... August 12, 2013 Rouhani’s Cabinet and the Challenge of Reform The election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has created an atmosphere of hope and optimism, both at home and abroad, not seen since Mohammad Khatami’s electoral victory in 1997. Howeve... August 9, 2013 Jihadi Violence in the Sinai Peninsula By Lauren Schumacher Five jihadists who were allegedly preparing to fire rockets towards Israel were reportedly killed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula earlier today. It is stil... August 7, 2013 President Rouhani’s Cabinet: MOIS vs. IRGC? President Hassan Rouhani presented his cabinet to the Iranian parliament on August 4. His team is c... August 5, 2013 All the President’s Men: Rouhani’s Cabinet President Hassan Rouhani presented his cabinet yesterday to the Iranian Majles. It remains to be seen if the parliament will approve R... August 2, 2013 Saudi-Qatari Rapprochement? Today marked the first official trip abroad by the new Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Al-Thani... July 26, 2013 Follow-Up Needed After the EU’s Hezbollah Ban The European Union (EU) dealt a blow to the Lebanon-based terrorist organization Hezbollah earlier this week, blacklisting the organization’s military wing. The EU was wise to focus its att... July 25, 2013 Mali’s Elections Will Not Solve Its Problems By Zachary Elkaim Mali is set to hold presidential elections on Sunday, July 28. While the democratic process should be welcomed, it has been beset with challenges, and more are... July 19, 2013 Netanyahu, Abbas and the Kerry Initiative Secretary of State John Kerry announced today that, after six trips to the Middle East, he has successfully convinced the Israelis and the Palestinians to establish "a basis" for resuming diploma... July 17, 2013 Egypt and the African Union By Zachary Elkaim Following the ouster of Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi earlier this month, the Afric... July 9, 2013 Hezbollah Paying A Price For Entering the Syrian Civil War? A Nissan SUV packed with 35 Kgs of explosives blew up today in the Hezbollah-controlled Bir al-Abed neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs, reportedly causing 37 injuries.... July 3, 2013 How Egypt’s Coup Could Impact U.S. Foreign Assistance The Egyptian military coup against President Mohammad Morsi could lead to the suspension of Washington’s assistance to Cairo. According to Section 7008 of the FY2012 Consolidated A... June 28, 2013 Mohammed Morsi, Tamarod, and the Current Crisis in Egypt Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi delivered a major speech on June 26 that was designed to defuse the political tensions which had been building in anticipation of widespread protests across the... June 23, 2013 The Exit of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and the Need for “Real Political Reform” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accepted the resignation of newly appointed prime minister Rami Hamdallah on Sunday, according to... June 7, 2013 The Backstory Behind Egypt’s NGO Arrests An Egyptian court convicted 43 people working for foreign democracy and human rights NGOs on Tuesday. Nineteen were Americans working for some of the most established non-profits in the world. So... May 29, 2013 Egypt’s “Rebellion” Movement A new protest movement in Egypt is gaining steam. Driven primarily by Egyptian youth, the Tamarod [Rebellion] Movement seeks to impeach Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi. Their plan is to gather... May 22, 2013 New Ideas for Cooperatively Preventing WMD Attacks from the Middle East The danger that weapons of mass destruction (WMD) from the Middle East will be used against the United States or its allies has been heightened by several recent developments. These develop... May 16, 2013 Why Iran’s Elections Will Not Be Democratic By FDD Staff Six hundred and eighty six Iranian citizens have... April 26, 2013 The Fight for the Judiciary in Egypt Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood government is attempting to put over three thousand judges into retirement, in an attempt to curtail the power of the judiciary. This is not the first time the Bro... April 26, 2013 Hezbollah’s Drone to Israel: Calculated Adventurism On Thursday, Israeli fighter jets shot down a drone off of Haifa’s coastline. The drone, according to a statement from the Israeli military, was identified as it flew north... April 23, 2013 Canada Plot Revives Concerns about Ties Between Iran and al-Qaeda The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced on Monday that it disrupted a plot to derail a VIA passenger tra... April 11, 2013 Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Resigning? Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad tendered his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday, according to... April 8, 2013 Challenges Ahead for Lebanon’s Next Prime Minister On March 22, the Hezbollah-dominated government of Lebanon collapsed after its Prime Minister, Najib Miqati, resigned. Following consultations with members of parliament, President Michel Suleima... April 1, 2013 Hamas Leadership Selection: An Initial Assessment After months of fits and starts, Hamas finally completed its internal leadership elections,... March 29, 2013 African AQ Affiliate Groups Leave Signatures in Mali Al-Qaeda affiliated groups in northern Mali launched a... March 22, 2013 Israeli Leader Apologizes to Turkey for Fatal Ship Raid The New York Times - Read full story...... March 8, 2013 A Political Solution to an Economic Problem Two years after the uprising that toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt is still struggling with a revolution that seemingly won’t end. Since late November, protests and casualti... February 11, 2013 The Winds of War in Lebanon Multiple sources suggest that the winds of war are blowing to Israel’s north, and that such a war could erupt very soon. Lebanese parliamentarian... February 8, 2013 Egypt’s Never-Ending Revolution Since January 25, Egypt has witnessed an unprecedented wave of nationwide protests which have left more than 60 people dead. The country remains in a state of lawlessness. The protests,... January 15, 2013 Pilgrims or Mercenaries? Iranian Hostages Freed by Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army last week released forty seven Iranian citizens and their Syrian...

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