Politics

NATO in Afghanistan

Hopes of withdrawal fade

2015 was a troubled year for Afghanistan. With the Taliban and IS achieving temporary success within the country, NATO was forced to revise its troop withdrawal plans. A report by Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi
By Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi
India and Islamic State

Everything under control?

India, the country with the largest Muslim minority, is forever issuing assurances that it remains unaffected by the deadly threat posed by IS. Only time will tell, however, whether the escalating confrontation seen by many as a symbolic struggle between the West and Islam continues to give the subcontinent a wide berth. An essay by Ronald Meinardus
By Ronald Meinardus
Oman's succession problem

Neither heir nor spare

Unmarried and childless, Qaboos bin Said Al-Said, Sultan of Oman, is something of a rarity in the Arab world. His reign has already lasted for 45 years. Confusion still remains, however, over the identity of his successor. What is clear is that whoever it is will not have it easy. By Anne Allmeling
By Anne Allmeling
Geopolitics in the Middle East

A new century dawns

There is no doubt that the crisis-riven Middle East is beset by some unique challenges. As Jeffrey Sachs argues, however, these are not the Sunni-Shia political divide, the future of Assad or other doctrinal disputes, but rather the unmet need for quality education, job skills, advanced technologies and sustainable development
By Jeffrey D. Sachs
Peace treaty signed by warring factions in Libya

The steep road to national unity

Although the event was not the main focus of international attention, the agreement signed by Libya′s rival factions in the Moroccan coastal city of Skhirat this week is perhaps more important for Europe than the European summit meeting that took place the same day. By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary
Islamic State

A year of territorial losses

Although 2015 has been a bleak year, characterised by numerous casualties resulting from the terrorist activities of IS, the last twelve months have seen Islamic State relinquish rather than gain ground. By Chase Winters
By Chase Winter
IS: the winners and the losers

The time is ripe for Bashar and his cronies

In future, under the pre-text of waging a ″war against terror″, autocratic regimes in the Arab world will adopt an even harder line against opposition groups in their own countries. There is likely to be little objection from the West, which is still reeling from the most recent IS attacks, writes the Moroccan journalist Ali Anouzla
By Ali Anouzla
Jihadist terrorism in Tunisia

The tragic fate of shepherd boy Mabrouk Soltani

"It′s the first time in the history of Tunisia that the head of a corpse sat in a refrigerator overnight, while the rest of the body lay in the mountains." Uttering these few words Mohammad Soltani informed camera teams about the tragic fate of his brother Mabrouk Soltani. By Iman Hajji
By Iman Hajjih
The Middle East

Preserving the Ottoman mosaic

With the international community striving to end the chaos and conflict racking the Middle East and establish a regional order than can sustain peace and stability, Sweden′s fomer prime minister, Carl Bildt makes a plea for working within the existing framework
By Carl Bildt
Western involvement in Syria

Fewer bombs, not more!

Only when the West has helped to end the war in Syria, or at least Assad's airstrikes, can it count on Syrian support in the fight against IS. To protect Syrians in their homeland, Germany in particular should be advocating no-bombing zones, says Kristin Helberg
By Kristin Helberg
Airstrikes against IS

Solidarity yet no strategy

Western airstrikes will fail to have any significant impact on the terrorist militia as long as the Syrian rebels, prevented from focusing their efforts on the jihadists by the ongoing offensive staged by Assad′s regime, have to defend themselves simultaneously against IS and Assad. A commentary by Bente Scheller
By Bente Scheller
Interview with Arun Kundnani

Violence comes home

After the Paris attacks, what are the logical and tragic consequences of a war with no geographical limits? In this interview, Arun Kundnani unveils and critiques the ramifications of the ″war on terror″, from the conservative and liberal rhetoric of the intellectuals and commentators who have emerged, to the theories of ″radicalisation″ which have fuelled counter-terrorism programmes in the West