2011

commentary

The Turkish Chimera

The Turkish model -- with its emphasis on secularism and democracy -- has obvious appeal in a region burdened by corrupt, autocratic, incompetent, and inefficient governments. But Turkey's historical experience and political evolution differ in important ways from Arab countries', writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

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Obama Administration Should Take Holistic Approach to Middle East

The U.S. government is historically adept at tactics, but what President Obama needs are more people with a broader perspective. That includes engaging outsiders with a solid background in the Middle East, writes Robert E. Hunter.

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What Intervention Looks Like

The question, then, is whether stopping the fighting—which could also require forcibly removing Qaddafi—is worth the price of deep military engagement and responsibility for Libya's postwar future, writes Robert E. Hunter.

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Thinking Twice about Libyan Engagement

We have learned over the past couple of decades that it is deceptively easy for the world's only superpower to topple objectionable regimes—but a good deal harder to replace them with something better, writes James Dobbins.

commentary

Beating Back the Taliban

There is a growing recognition among senior Taliban leaders that they are losing momentum in parts of southern Afghanistan, their longtime stronghold, writes Seth Jones.

commentary

What Is the Terrorism Threat Now? The Local Level

How should police and intelligence agencies deal with the specter of homegrown terrorism? One of the best tools available is intelligence gleaned from the local community, writes Peter Chalk.

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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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Can You Hear Libya Now?

The U.S. and its allies could help Libyans communicate with the outside world by deploying cellphone base stations on aircraft or tethered balloons, write Dan Gonzales and Sarah Harting.

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Iran Might Not Be the Big Winner of Mideast Uprisings

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Stormy Seas off Somalia

Only by addressing the poverty and lack of central authority in Somalia can the international community lower maritime crime and violence off the Horn of Africa, writes Peter Chalk.

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Libya's Terra Incognita: Who and What Will Follow Qaddafi?

The new, post-Qaddafi era is likely to be marked by the emergence of long-suppressed domestic groups jostling for supremacy in what is sure to be a chaotic political scene, writes Frederic Wehrey.

commentary

Bahrain Protests: A Point of No Return for Ruling Family—and Obama

The only route out of the current impasse may be a fully functioning and pluralistic parliament like the one that enabled Bahrain's golden days, writes Frederic Wehrey.

commentary

Egypt Faces Rough, Uncharted Road

The most favorable outcome achievable in Egypt might be what we see in Iraq, but without the violence, writes Harold Brown.

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Keep U.S. Aid Flowing to Egypt's Military

Continuing support for the Egyptian military will be crucial for U.S. influence and for an evolution in Egypt that can meet American interests, writes Robert E. Hunter.

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.