The canal project evokes memories of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, the wildly popular colonel who led the 1952 overthrow of Egypt’s monarchy. Nasser nationalized the canal in 1956, ending nearly a century of control by the Europeans who financed and built it. Taking the canal galvanized the Egyptian public, even more so after it resulted […]
On Saturday, 9 August 2014, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt entered another phase in its beleaguered political life. The highest administrative court in Egypt, the Supreme Administrative Court, dissolved the political party of the Brotherhood in Egypt, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). The Court also liquidated all of the FJP’s assets in an attempt […]
Irrespective of its rhetoric to the contrary, throughout the last four decades, the Egyptian government’s policies towards the Palestinians have signalled a marked departure from its historic reputation as a regional leader determined to challenge Israeli hegemony. Read Here – AlJazeera
It’s true that economic growth through industrialization altered the social structure of societies and created demand for political representation. But it’s now clear that the process has also led to the opposite of liberal democracy. Read Here – Bloomberg
America’s Gulf allies are unhappy with what they see as a milquetoast response to ongoing Iranian aggression and a betrayal of a commitment to remove Iran’s strongest ally—Bashar al Assad. Gulf leaders see a declining US military presence in the Gulf and feel there is a vacuum developing. These perceptions are incorrect, writes DB Des Roches Read […]
A confident-looking Abdel Fattah el-Sisi strides across the tarmac at Almaza Air Base, dressed in a blue blazer and his trademark sunglasses. He is not yet Egypt’s head of state, but certainly looks like one Read Here – Politico
For months now, protestors have gathered in the capitals of many developing nations—Turkey, Ukraine, Thailand, Venezuela, Malaysia, and Cambodia, among others—in demonstrations united by some key features. Read Here – Businessweek
Thanks to the Obama administration’s woeful disregard for the concerns of its erstwhile allies, the entire future of the Western alliance’s relationship with the Gulf region is now under threat. Read Here – The Telegraph, London
If the new social order struggling to be born in the countries of the Arab Spring had difficulties dealing with the present, it also had problems dealing with the past. There was ample demonization of things pre-revolutionary, but no objective examination of the past Read Here – WorldAffairsJournal
Nearly 150 years after its completion, the Suez Canal continues to inspire awe, living up to every cliché ever written about it. The 120-mile waterway is a vital link between Europe and Asia, a strategic asset, and a man-made wonder. Read Here – Foreign Affairs
looking beyond borders 