Policy Analysis

The path towards reconciliation between Ankara and Damascus faces numerous obstacles, linked to a history of mistrust and significant gaps in major contentious issues.

Russia is taking advantage of recent coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to embed itself in the Sahel. However, its indiscriminate counterterrorism tactics come with a cost for their forces and the regimes it protects.

With no prospects for a political solution to the Syrian crisis, the Turkish government's insistence on maintaining its previous policies in northern Syria and its usurpation of the Syrian people's decision-making warns of dire consequences for an already fragile relationship.

In recent years, members of tribes living on Kish land in Rabat have escalated their protests in response to decisions to re-allocate the land, demolish their homes, and evict them.

The deterioration of public health in oil extraction cities requires tangible actions to end the suffering of the affected people by providing specialized treatment centers funded by the social benefits from petroleum profits.

Given the politically charged nature of this issue, it is important to scrutinize unemployment numbers carefully, assessing the latest data in the broader context of Jordan’s economy over the past several years.

The Iranian model of creating and supporting proxy groups is consistent across the “Shia Crescent,” but recently Tehran has begun employing new and troubling tactics that threaten to only expand their influence.

By firmly resisting the takeover of higher education by pro-Iran faculty and students, the United States can prevent the militias from recruiting the next generation of fighters.

Regional backlash against Washington’s unilateral interventionist policies, viewing the region only through security lenses, lack of social, economic, and cultural policies, and U.S. support for authoritarian regimes has created the conditions for conspiracy theories such as BOP.

Only by working to address internal issues can the KRI hope to stem the tide of both irregular migration and the loss of its most valuable human capital.

Given the complicated baggage that Sadr brings into Iraq’s political game, his re-entry into formal politics after a years-long hiatus will likely destabilize the internal Shia political landscape.

Without a sea change, U.S. and European soft power will continue to erode in Tunisia at a moment of increasing crisis for the country.

With ruling parties, companies, and mainstream media aligned against them, activists and environmentalists face a formidable challenge in curbing the exploitation of nature and corporate greed.

Although many in Erbil lament Iran’s significant influence in Iraq, President Barzani now seems open to leveraging its power to address the KRI’s election dispute.

Muqtada al-Sadr’s recent attempt to designate Eid al-Ghadir a national holiday has sparked fierce debates and threatens to further destabilize the Iraqi political system in the coming months.

The protest movement’s ability to weather pressures from the Assad regime has allowed Suwayda to remain an impressive display of solidarity, tenacity, and bravery, alongside a willingness after over a decade of conflict in Syria to still demand a better future.

Alignment between recovery efforts and the international coalition requires a comprehensive approach that prioritizes security, economic stabilization, and social cohesion.

Institutional limitations, fiscal challenges, endemic corruption, and governance shortcomings present formidable barriers to developmental pursuits.

Given the breakdown of the Lebanese state, Arab countries' normalization with Assad, and the fragmentation of the Syrian opposition, it seems that the United States can step in to play a pivotal role in protecting Syrian refugees facing persecution.

The implementation of the privatization project of the water and electricity sector will fundamentally alter the way in which essential services are provide to Moroccan citizens.