Politics

Libya's Unchecked Weapons Trade

''Gaddafi's Gangster Mentality Lives On''

They smuggle weapons, drugs and refugees: Criminal networks are controlling eastern Libya. The government has pledged to offer the impoverished region economic alternatives. By Markus Symank in Benghazi
By Markus Symank
Two Years after the Arab Revolution

Disillusionment in the Middle East

Syria is caught up in a civil war, Islamists are in power in Cairo and Tunis, Turkey is caught between fronts and the Mideast peace process is stalled. What to make of the region two years after the Arab Revolution? By Bettina Marx
By Bettina Marx
Interview with Peter Harling of the International Crisis Group

The Religious Narrative of Syria's Armed Opposition

According to a new report, the presence of Salafi groups among Syria's armed opposition is an irrefutable and damaging trend. In this interview with Kersten Knipp, Peter Harling talks about why the makeup and character of Syria's opposition has changed
By Kersten Knipp
The Syrian dissident Kamal al-Labwani

''The true revolution won't come until Assad has gone''

The former Damascene Spring activist Kamal al-Labwani believes that following the ousting of the Baath dictatorship, the Syrian society mindset will need to be thoroughly revised if it is to tackle the challenges of reestablishing democracy. Laura Overmeyer profiles the man who has always been a thorn in the side of the Assad regime
By Laura Overmeyer
Turkey and Germany

A Unique Partnership

The expansion of economic ties, as well as growing cooperation in the field of foreign policy, have made Turkey and Germany crucial partners. But this new period also presents new challenges for Berlin. By Ayhan Simsek
By Ayhan Simsek
Protests against Assad in Beirut

Unrest and Political Uncertainty in Lebanon

Lebanon remains in shock after the country's domestic intelligence chief was killed in a bomb attack. For the Lebanese opposition it was clear right away that those who planned the assassination were to be found in the Syrian capital Damascus. Mona Naggar reports from Beirut
By Mona Naggar
Palestinian Local Elections

A Determined Democracy

Frustration with traditional parties has reached a zenith in the Palestinian territories. Israel forbids Palestinians in East Jerusalem from holding elections. But the latest round of local polls in the West Bank shows that faith in the democratic electoral process and the desire to participate remains unbroken. By René Wildangel
By René Wildangel
Saudi Arabia's Foreign and Security Policy

Categorical Imperative

Saudi Arabia's political maxim is stability for the petrodollar monarchy. Everything else is of secondary importance for the powers that be in Riyadh. But as long as Wahhabism remains the absolute ideology of state, there can be no real unity or real stability in the Saudi Arabian nation. By Loay Mudhoon
By Loay Mudhoon
Assassination of Lebanese Intelligence Chief al-Hassan

Lebanon in Syrian Captivity

After the assassination of Wissam al-Hassan, the head of intelligence of Lebanon's internal security forces, everything in Beirut points to an impending storm. Fears of a new civil war are rife. By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary
''Syria in the Firing Line''

Beyond the Violence

International news reporting on Syria is increasingly focused on the armed conflict raging in the country. Yet, civilian opposition to the Assad regime is continuing as well. In her new book, Kristin Helberg reports on the peaceful origins of the Syrian revolution and the workings of Assad's machinery of power. By Martina Sabra
By Martina Sabra
Interview with the Coptic activist Emad Gad

''Egypt is inexorably developing into a theocracy''

Emad Gad is a leading member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party and vice-director of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. In this interview with Ute Schaeffer and Loay Mudhoon, he criticises the Islamization course being steered by Mursi's administration and explains how Egypt's liberal parties could act as a counterweight to the Islamists
By Ute Schaeffer, Loay Mudhoon
Coming to Terms with the Mubarak Era in Egypt

It's about Reconciliation, Not Punishment

Egypt is struggling with its recent past. Those in authority want to keep secret-service files hidden away, and nobody seems to have the courage to reform the country's security apparatus. But for some Egyptians, Germany is now considered an inspiration because of the way it is dealing with its recent history of misdeeds in formerly Socialist East Germany. By Andreas Jacobs
By Andreas Jacobs