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Egypt

Russia

commentary
Russia Is Eyeing the Mediterranean. The U.S. and NATO Must Be Prepared
Russia is seeking more access and freedom of movement in the Mediterranean region, and is bolstering its military footprint to achieve this objective. The United States and NATO could respond by developing a more robust southern strategy, with a reinforced air and naval presence, respectively.
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Jun 30, 2020
Colin P. Clarke, William Courtney @courtneywmh, et al.

Gender Equity in the Workplace

commentary
Economic Recovery in Egypt Should Include Women
Despite tremendous strides in educational attainment, women's engagement in the labor force in Egypt remains limited. Will Egypt's post-pandemic recovery further exacerbate structural barriers and inequities? Or could the current economic crisis be an opportunity to develop new opportunities to employ women and foster conditions for a more inclusive and diversified labor force?
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May 11, 2020
Louay Constant
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

blog
A Proposed COVID-19 Cure, Economic Decline, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the unintended consequences of a proposed COVID-19 treatment, another wave of economic destruction, North Korea after Kim Jong Un, and more.
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May 1, 2020
Counterinsurgency

commentary
Making Headway Against the Sinai Insurgency
Since 2013, Egypt has been engaged in the Sinai Peninsula against a deadly ISIS-affiliated insurgency. To make headway, the Egyptian government could focus on providing services in the region and repairing its relationship with citizens.
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Aug 12, 2019
David E. Thaler, Yousuf Abdelfatah
Security Cooperation

commentary
Where Will ISIS Seek to Establish Its Next Safe Haven?
Many of ISIS's surviving fighters will seek out new battlefields to continue waging jihad. By coordinating with its allies around the globe, the U.S. could work to help alleviate the conditions that lead states to fail, making them less appealing as sanctuaries where terrorists can rest, rearm, and recuperate.
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Feb 19, 2018
Colin P. Clarke
Engineers and Engineering

blog
How the Drinking Bird Foiled a Spruce Goose Engineer
The famous drinking bird toy gave RAND's Dick Murrow an idea that might help Egyptian farmers. But Murrow, who previously led Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose design team, couldn't secure funding to get the concept off the ground.
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Jun 29, 2017
United States Navy

commentary
Egypt's Suez Canal: An Attenuated Lifeline
The U.S. Navy has enjoyed the luxury of being able to transit the Suez Canal without hindrance for decades. However, the risk of losing access — perhaps quickly and unexpectedly — should inform Navy strategic and operational planning.
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Sep 14, 2016
Scott Savitz, Paul DeLuca
commentary
It's Too Soon to Write Off the Arab Spring as a Failure
Pessimistically declaring the Arab Spring a failure in 2016 would be as naive as optimistically declaring it a success in 2011. Something comes next—but what?
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Jun 15, 2016
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
Middle East

announcement
RAND's Shelly Culbertson Publishes Book on Middle East After the Arab Spring
A new book by RAND's Shelly Culbertson mixes travel memoir, reporting, and analysis across six Middle Eastern countries, presenting diverse experiences of the Arab Spring.
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Apr 19, 2016
Aircraft

commentary
Passing Judgment on Russian Plane Crash Before the Facts Are In
A bright flash and catastrophic event suggest an explosion, but do not necessarily exclude the possibility of a mechanical failure. This would not, in fact, be the first time evidence pointed to a terrorist attack when none existed.
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Nov 12, 2015
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Egypt

commentary
Partisans Without Parties
It is tempting to describe Egypt's parliamentary elections as history repeating itself. Yet today's Egypt is not Mubarak's Egypt. Rather, it is a state transitioning from single-party rule to a new system whose pecking order is still being hashed out.
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Oct 29, 2015
Emad Shahin, Jeffrey Martini
Egypt

commentary
Seduced by a Strongman?
It is not true that domestic politics can be quarantined from foreign policy. In fact, Egypt's domestic and foreign policies are becoming more entangled by the day. And that bleed-over should raise concerns.
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Apr 30, 2015
Jeffrey Martini
Libya

commentary
Somalia on the Mediterranean
Libya is as vulnerable to further inroads by ISIS now as Syria was a year ago. What can the United States and its allies do to stop the hemorrhaging? Many options have been debated, but none look very promising.
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Feb 19, 2015
Christopher S. Chivvis
The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)

commentary
The U.S. Can't Count on Regional Support in the Fight Against ISIS
Regional governments may put some of their differences aside to help fight ISIS. But in a region rife with turmoil and multiple internal fissures, Washington cannot count on its confrontation with ISIS as its partners' overriding priority.
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Sep 16, 2014
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Gaza Strip

blog
With the Death Toll Rising in Gaza, Is There Any Hope for Peace?
Casualties are rising in the conflict between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. Are there any realistic expectations for peace in the region? Who could broker a settlement between Hamas and Israel?
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Jul 22, 2014
Egypt

commentary
The Egyptian Regime's Achilles' Heel
As the threat of the Muslim Brotherhood reclaiming power recedes, it will become difficult for the new authorities in Egypt to hold together a coalition that is built solely on its members' shared antipathy for the Islamist group.
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Feb 21, 2014
Jeffrey Martini
Egypt

commentary
What's Next for the Muslim Brotherhood?
Some believe the Muslim Brotherhood should stay in the political game, adopting the role of loyal opposition. The Brotherhood would remain a minority party, but it could continue to hold offices, provide social assistance that the government does not, and demonstrate its continuing strength at the polls.
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Aug 26, 2013
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Egypt

blog
Dalia Dassa Kaye: Don't Cut Economic Aid to Egypt
It's pretty clear that the U.S. administration is frustrated with the way Egypt is going, says Dalia Dassa Kaye. There are few good choices. What is unfortunate is the development of cutting economic assistance to Egypt. That is sending exactly the wrong message to the Egyptian people and the broader region.
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Aug 22, 2013
Egypt

blog
Things Could Get Worse in Egypt
As terrible as yesterday was in Egypt, things could get worse, says Jeffrey Martini, a RAND Middle East analyst. While the military-ruled government appears to be trying to break the neck of the Muslim Brotherhood, one shoe that hasn't dropped is the arrest of senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders.
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Aug 15, 2013
Egypt

commentary
Egyptian Liberals, Please Stand Up
While Egypt really is in trouble, what is needed is not a U.S. signal in the form of an aid cut off or another European mediation effort, it is for Egyptian liberals to stand up and condition their participation in government on genuine national reconciliation.
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Aug 1, 2013
Jeffrey Martini
Egypt

commentary
The Enduring Mirage of the Arab Spring
U.S. policy should not be hamstrung by a narrow focus on democratization, writes Seth G. Jones. More than ever, the United States and its allies should think first about protecting their vital strategic interests in Egypt and the region.
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Jul 22, 2013
Seth G. Jones
Turkey

commentary
The Biggest Loser of Cairo's Coup: Turkey
The military coup deposing Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, has sparked an important shift in the regional balance of power in the Middle East. Morsi's ouster deals a strong blow to the Turkey-Qatar-Egypt “pro-change” axis and to Turkey's hopes of playing a larger role in the region.
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Jul 19, 2013
F. Stephen Larrabee
Egypt

blog
In Egypt, Polarization Stands in the Way of Stability
The establishment of a stable government in Egypt is an elusive goal that depends on finding ways to reduce seemingly intractable levels of political polarization, says Jeffrey Martini. There is little cause for optimism that polarization will diminish any time soon.
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Jul 18, 2013
Egypt

commentary
Halting Aid to Egypt Over Military 'Coup' Would Hurt US Interests
Critics advocate for acknowledging that what occurred in Egypt is a coup and shutting off the more than $1.5 billion that Egypt receives annually from the US government. But this position fails to appreciate the limits of the leverage Washington derives from its aid to Cairo and the potential consequences of halting it.
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Jul 11, 2013
Jeffrey Martini
Egypt

commentary
The Egyptian Military's Playbook
The Egyptian military, still bruised from its last stint in power, is likely to proceed with caution this time around. If it does intervene, it will likely seek some acquiescence from the Islamists and will want to quickly form an inclusive caretaker government.
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Jul 2, 2013
Jeffrey Martini
Egypt

commentary
Egypt's Self-Fulfilling Prophesy
Rebel, or Tamarud, is a petition drive aimed at ousting President Morsi by collecting more signatures calling for his resignation than the number of votes he received in the 2012 elections. On June 30, the organizers will take to the streets in a rally that is likely to touch off clashes with security forces and Morsi's supporters.
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Jun 28, 2013
Jeffrey Martini
Egypt

blog
Luxor Governor's Resignation Highlights Growing Divide in Egypt
The governor of the Egyptian city of Luxor, Mohamed El-Khayat, resigned amid protests last week, just days after being appointed to the post by President Mohamed Morsi. His selection was controversial due to his affiliation with an Islamist terror group that in 1997 killed 62 people in Luxor, many of them tourists.
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Jun 25, 2013
blog
In Brief: Jeffrey Martini on Mapping Egyptian Politics
In this video, RAND Middle East analyst Jeffrey Martini discusses what past electoral performance and the current political context say about the Islamists' strength in Egypt and what it means for the United States.
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Apr 8, 2013
Jeffrey Martini
blog
New RAND Study Examines Voting Patterns in Post-Mubarak Egypt
While much has been written on the electoral strength of Islamists in Egypt, most of the analysis has been done at the national level, ignoring regional divides within the country. A new report identifies the areas where Islamist parties run strongest, and the areas where non-Islamists are most competitive.
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Mar 22, 2013
Nation Building

commentary
Egypt's Constitutional Referendum Was an Opportunity Lost
The Egyptian process left no room for broad deliberation of the constitutional issues, or even for educating citizens about the text of the document on which they were asked to vote, writes Laurel Miller.
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Dec 21, 2012
Laurel E. Miller
Egypt

commentary
Political Impasse in Egypt
If there ever was a honeymoon in Egypt's post-Mubarak politics, it is long over. The two main ideological camps—Islamists and secular-liberals—have shown a willingness to cooperate only when brought together by a common foe, writes Jeffrey Martini.
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Dec 13, 2012
Jeffrey Martini
commentary
Don't Give Up on Egypt's Political Transition Just Yet
Many transitions around the world in recent decades have been just as chaotic, yet 180-degree returns to autocracy have been exceedingly rare, writes Laurel Miller.
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Nov 28, 2012
Laurel E. Miller
commentary
Muslim Brotherhood Failing to Learn from Mistakes
The Muslim Brotherhood is falling into the same trap of overreach exhibited by the Egyptian military when the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) held the reins of authority during the first 16 months of the transition, writes Jeffrey Martini.
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Oct 18, 2012
Jeffrey Martini
Religion and Civil Society

commentary
Headscarves on Egyptian Newscasts Are a Victory for Tolerance
Lifting the Egyptian ban on headscarves on TV newscasts can be seen as a positive development. It ends state discrimination against those who wish to show their faith outwardly.
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Sep 6, 2012
Jeffrey Martini
commentary
How Does Arab Spring Compare to Third Wave Transitions?
The changes underway in the Arab world may lead to various possible destinations that differ both from their points of departure and from liberal democracy, write Laurel Miller and Jeffrey Martini.
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Aug 17, 2012
Laurel E. Miller, Jeffrey Martini
Egypt

commentary
Changing of the Guard in Egypt
Morsi's moves were certainly dramatic, and he may not be done. He has “decreed” that he has the right to select the next Constituent Assembly—deciding the constitution—if this one fails or is disbanded, writes Julie Taylor.
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Aug 14, 2012
Julie E. Taylor
Egypt

commentary
Egypt's New President Has the Mandate—What about the Power?
Mohamed Morsi's victory is a huge step in Egypt's political development, but his authorities were recently curtailed by the military and it is unclear how much power he will actually wield, writes Jeffrey Martini.
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Jun 25, 2012
Jeffrey Martini
commentary
The Egyptian Military Wins Again
The Muslim Brotherhood now faces a choice. It can seat Mursi and continue to legitimate a post-Mubarak transition that seems designed to advance the narrow interests of Egypt's officer corps. Or it can return to the streets with the aim of unseating the military council, writes Jeff Martini.
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Jun 22, 2012
Jeffrey Martini
Egypt

commentary
Cairo's Candidate Shuffle
Just as before the disqualifications, the fundamental decision voters face is about the scope and nature of the change Egypt will undergo in the coming years. And there are still candidates representing almost every position on that spectrum, writes Jeffrey Martini.
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Apr 19, 2012
Jeffrey Martini
Nation Building

commentary
The Year of the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring demonstrated that leaderless revolutions are difficult to repress or co-opt. Unfortunately, it is also true that leaderless revolts find it difficult to make transition to authority, writes Charles Ries.
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Dec 20, 2011
Charles P. Ries @charles_ries
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

commentary
Commanding Democracy in Egypt: The Military's Attempt to Manage the Future
The SCAF's attempts to curtail dissent and the democratic process have fueled doubts about its true intentions. Will the military fulfill its promise to support democracy? Or will it seek to replace Mubarak's rule with its own or that of a friendly autocrat? write Jeffrey Martini and Julie Taylor.
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Aug 25, 2011
Jeffrey Martini, Julie E. Taylor
Egypt

commentary
In Obama Speech, Will There Be Aid for Arab Spring Nations?
Assisting Arab democratic transitions will not eliminate religious extremism. But successful transitions would directly challenge the jihadist brands that promote attacks on America, writes Julie Taylor.
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May 19, 2011
Julie E. Taylor
Global Security

commentary
Is the Arab World Changing for the Better?
If some measure of democracy does result, the elected governments likely will reflect the popular antipathy that the "Arab street" has for both the United States and Israel, writes David Aaron.
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May 3, 2011
David Aaron
Egypt

commentary
Five Myths about the Muslim Brotherhood
Much of what we know—or think we know—about the Muslim Brotherhood's ambitions, beliefs and history is clouded by misperceptions, writes Lorenzo Vidino.
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Mar 6, 2011
Lorenzo Vidino
Egypt

commentary
The Domino Effect of Arab Unrest
There is no clear political party or leader ready to step in if the regime in Egypt falls. However, this protest is not without leadership; it is spearheaded by a large network of Egyptian human rights groups and other citizens, writes Julie Taylor.
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Feb 1, 2011
Julie E. Taylor