Arab & Islamic Politics

In this podcast episode from World Politics Review, Vish Sakthivel joins Peter Dörrie to talk about the outlook for Algeria when the Bouteflika era comes to an end.

The punishment of a single, almost irrelevant, prince is unlikely to change the world's view that Saudi royals are a law unto themselves.

A State Department official discusses why overcoming cynicism and encouraging reform in the Middle East remains a crucial part of America's role as defender of the international system.

Speculation that the execution of a minor prince means greater accountability in Saudi Arabia is almost certainly misplaced.

Cairo has sought to placate Saudi and American officials while reaching out to their respective adversaries in Damascus and Moscow, but this balancing act may soon topple if Riyadh and Washington withhold crucial funding.

Although the nascent Palestinian initiative may fizzle out on its own, U.S. inaction could draw the Obama administration into an unwanted diplomatic fracas or preempt its own potential initiative.

As their sons and 'temporary husbands' are ripped from them to fight a proxy war in Syria, grieving mothers and brides are compensated with empty promises, poverty, and threats, heightening communal frustrations to the point of explosion.

The second parliamentary election since the protests of 2011 will be a referendum on the kingdom's leading Islamist party and the broader reform process.

Politics has become a life-or-death struggle for several of America's important partners in the Middle East, says Eric Trager, and their leaders increasingly perceive even mild U.S. encouragement on human rights issues as support for domestic enemies. The next president will face a decision about how to prioritize America's strategic