Politics

Sisi's self-defeating security plan

A bloody year in Sinai

The Egyptian government has intensified its military campaign in the Sinai peninsula with the aim of finally shutting down a jihadist insurgency linked to IS. Hundreds may have died, but the insurgency continues with no end in sight. By Tom Stevenson
By Tom Stevenson
Birgit Svensson's biographical account "Murderous Freedom"

Between heaven and hell – fifteen years in Iraq

Journalist Birgit Svensson arrived in Iraq in 2003 and never left, enjoying the dubious status of being the only German-language reporter in the country for much of the time since. Recently published in German, "Moerderische Freiheit" recounts her experiences, offering insights into Iraq that go beyond terrorism and war. By Christopher Resch
By Christopher Resch
Authoritarian reinstatement in the Arab world

Whatʹs left of the Arab Spring

Not much remains of the euphoric mood and the hopes that drove the Arab Spring. A return to pre-2011 conditions is however out of the question. Commentary by Loay Mudhoon
By Loay Mudhoon
The world according to Mohammed bin Salman

Prove your loyalty, Saudis – deny reality

Saudi Arabia first denied the Khashoggi murder and then blamed it on rogue security agents. Neither version has enjoyed much credibility, but the ability to make the population repeat incredible claims is itself a form of power for Arab autocrats, argues Hannes Baumann
By Hannes Baumann
IS fighters in Iraqi prisons

The next terror generation?

Numerous former IS junior fighters are now serving long prison sentences in Iraqi prisons. There they continue to radicalise themselves. The Dutch author and journalist Judit Neurink visited a juvenile detention centre in Erbil
By Judit Neurink
Middle East economies

Treading the trade war tightrope

Trumpʹs latest campaign to put pressure on China, with the option of raising existing trade tariffs of 10% to 25% by year-end, is just part of an escalating trade war between two super economic powers that could have disastrous effects – with the fragile Middle East destined to feel the pinch. By Stasa Salacanin
By Stasa Salacanin
Murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Donald Trump's ersatz reality

The gruesome killing of former Saudi government advisor and journalist Jamal Khashoggi will not lead to dissociation with Saudi Arabia, says Stefan Buchen in his essay. After all, the most powerful man in the West is Donald Trump, one of the murdererʹs best friends
By Stefan Buchen
Interview with Middle East expert Guido Steinberg

No one wants conflict with Saudi Arabia

Even though the case of the disappeared Saudi journalist Khashoggi weighs heavily, no government is prepared to risk open conflict with the Saudis. Meanwhile, the concerns of dissidents who have fled their authoritarian countries of origin to the West are growing. By Diana Hodali
By Diana Hodali
India and Pakistan

Modiʹs foreign policy – by whim, not design

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, Indiaʹs approach to relations with Pakistan has been inconsistent and episodic, typified in the tensions at the recent UN General Assembly. Modiʹs government has no cohesive policy framework for dealing with Pakistan, much less a compelling vision for lasting peace. By Shashi Tharoor
By Shashi Tharoor
Interview with political scientists Nader Hashemi and Danny Postel

The West's "intellectually lazy" obsession with sectarianism

Danny Postel and Nader Hashemi warn in this interview with Emran Feroz against the tendency in Western media and policy circles to view Middle Eastern politics in essentialist sectarian terms. "Sectarianization: Mapping the New Politics of the Middle East", their recent collection of essays, examines the topic in depth
By Emran Feroz
Western diplomacy in crisis

What to do about Khashoggi?

The abduction or even murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi would constitute a dangerous escalation in the Saudi government's campaign to clamp down on its critics. According to Guido Steinberg, the West should react with as much determination as it did towards Moscow following events in Salisbury
By Guido Steinberg
Essebsi breaks with Ennahda

Farewell to Tunisia's "national consensus"

The decision by Caid Essebsi to end five years of consensus politics is likely to heighten sociopolitical tensions in the North African state and deepen a burgeoning economic crisis. Tunisian journalist Ismail Dbara analyses the reasons for the break-up and the consequences for democratisation within the country
By Ismail Dbara