شمال آفریقا

The visit will give the Kremlin a chance to increase its reach in Egypt while signaling to the West that Putin remains an influential world leader.

For the moment at least, many Egyptians have become so fearful of change that they are content to live with their broken state, which they view as preferable to further collapse.

Washington is all but certain to resume its military financing to Egypt at some point, but there is little to be gained and potentially much to be lost by waiting for Cairo's Federal Reserve accounts to zero out in the meantime.

While Tunisians deserve widespread recognition for achieving a peaceful transfer of power, the need for continued U.S. engagement will only increase after this weekend's ballot.

Regardless of who enters Carthage Palace in January, a free and fair election will represent an achievement worthy of international recognition.

Even as Rabat sends delegations abroad to garner support for its security programs, the question remains: Why is Morocco one of the largest sources of IS fighters in the Arab world?

Islam's growing role in the military is likely part of an ideological battle to reclaim the spiritual mantle from the Muslim Brotherhood, but manipulating religion for political gain has a history of backfiring in Egypt.

A local jihadist group has claimed a Libyan city in the name of ISIS, showing how the "Islamic State" could flout traditional notions of territorial contiguity by expanding its "borders" well beyond Iraq and Syria.

Through its choice of new leadership and other actions, the group is displaying an ideological stubbornness that may threaten its long-term viability.