Politics

Interview with Layla Al-Zubaidi on Syria

Identity Issues Are Detrimental

After seven months of military repression, Syria's protest movement is still bravely confronting the government of Bashar al-Assad. His despotic regime remains strong, but the opposition is not losing momentum either. In an interview with Hans Dembowski, Layla Al-Zubaidi of the Heinrich Böll Foundation assesses the situation
Popular Uprising in Yemen

Saleh, Enemy Number One

Politically speaking, the Yemeni opposition movement is extremely heterogeneous and therefore finds it difficult to act in concert. The only goal they all share is to bring about the resignation of the President. By Albrecht Metzger
By Albrecht Metzger
Libya after Gaddafi

Challenges and Opportunities

After the death of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya not only has an opportunity to embark on the path to a more democratic and prosperous future that its people crave but it also has many of the ingredients to get there. By Stefan Wolff
By Stefan Wolff
Libya after Gaddafi

How the 'Brother Leader' Remained in Power So Long

When Muammar Gaddafi toppled King Idris I, he was less than 30 years old. Yet this very man managed to stay in power for almost 42 years, surviving countless coups and assassination attempts. He himself never expected to stay in control for so long, so how did he do it? By Mustafa Fetouri
By Mustafa Fetouri
Democratisation and Economic Development in Tunisia and Egypt

Looking for a Third Way

The democratic future of Tunisia and Egypt depends on their economic development. Privatisations such as those envisaged by the IMF and the World Bank will be disastrous for the two nations, which should now be looking to find a third way. A commentary by Akram Belkaïd
By Akram Belkaïd
Political Unrest in Syria

Risk of Kurdish Uprising Puts Regional Powers on Alert

The Syrian Kurds may not remain on the sidelines for much longer after being dragged into the uprising against the al-Assad regime. But their influence on the future of Syria and the Middle East is hard to determine. By Nick Amies
By Nick Amies
Tunisia's First Free Elections

''Everybody Wants To Do Their Own Thing''

Tunisia was the cradle of the so-called Arab Spring, and it is the first country in the region to be holding free elections. But the road to democracy is not as straight as many Tunisians hoped it would be back in January. Sarah Mersch reports from Tunis
Persecution of Syrians in Exile

The Long Arm of the Baath Regime

Over the past few months, Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad has used every means to brutally suppress the country's opposition. Now, even Syrians in exile opposed to the regime are no longer safe, as Bettina Marx reports
By Bettina Marx
Uprising against the Assad Regime in Syria

What Support for the Protest Movement?

If the creeping massacre of the Syrian population is to be stopped, now is the time to send out an unambiguous message, warns Volker Perthes, expert on the Near East and director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs
By Volker Perthes
The Military's Attack on Egypt's Copts

A Call for Civil War

What began as a peaceful demonstration by thousands of Coptic Christians quickly escalated into a widespread attack by the military against the protesters. What we witnessed on Sunday evening in the streets of downtown Cairo was state-sponsored violence and murder. A commentary by Joseph Mayton
Fascism and National Socialism in Egypt

Dynamite for Social Relations

The political developments in Europe in the inter-war period were closely monitored and discussed in Egypt at the time. However, because of their racist base, Fascism and National Socialism were rejected by most leading intellectuals in the country. By Götz Nordbruch
By Götz Nordbruch
Ten Years after the Start of the War in Afghanistan

The Spirits They Invoked

The US-led "War on Terror" began on 7 October, 2001. Afghanistan quickly developed into a military nightmare, and its neighbour Pakistan is today viewed as a "failed state". But the historical responsibility of the West for the state of the "AfPak" region is often overlooked. By Marian Brehmer
By Marian Brehmer