شمال آفریقا

Even if Cairo wanted to normalize relations with the Assad regime, its need to stay on good terms with Saudi Arabia and the UAE would seriously constrain how far it could go in that direction.

Although past uprisings have been quickly snuffed out, the latest calls for mass protests have been more strategically savvy and explicitly violent than usual.

Helping Cairo defeat jihadis -- at minimum by delivering long-postponed weapons systems -- would be more productive than punishing it for its repressive approach in Sinai.

Is post-Qadhafi Libya destined to become a "Somalia on the Mediterranean"? Analyst Andrew Engel studies the causative factors in Libya's failed transition to democracy.

In a political environment that seeks a return to the status quo ante, some Egyptians are embracing a Mubarak-era strategy of leveraging patronage networks and governmental connections for victory.

Tunisia will need U.S. support for its continuing, fragile transition away from authoritarianism.

The two leaders could discuss ISIS, Libya, and other regional issues, but the act of meeting alone would do much in terms of improving bilateral relations.

Aside from potential military intervention, the Algerian government can leverage its diplomatic ties to mediate between the conflicting Libyan parties, thwart a possible ISIS takeover, and eliminate the threat to the Sahel region as a whole.

As a leading Libyan military figure carries out a comprehensive campaign to uproot extremism in his country, Washington and its allies will have to find a way to balance his efforts against the need to curb growing violence and nurture a pluralistic state.