North Africa

With the 1999 elections, Algeria is the only Arab country to have had two presidential elections that included more than one candidate. The seven candidates running in the 1999 presidential elections represent a wide range of views, minus the two most extreme, that is, the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and

Libya's economic decomposition has led to the rise of an Islamic opposition. The Islamists are increasingly allying with the Libyan armed forces, forming a pragmatic union that is likely to define Libya's political future in the post-Qaddafi period. Background. In the pre-Qaddafi period, Islam played a central role in Libya's

Contrary to most media reportage, the constitutional crisis in Algeria in 1991-1992 was not the engine that ignited terrorism. Acts of terrorism by groups and individuals claiming to speak in the name of Islam began in the mid-1980s, when the Algerian government began exploring ways to implement economic reforms and

Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

On October 6, 1994, Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Habib Ben Yahia, addressed The Washington Institute's Policy Forum on Tunisia's role in the Arab-Israeli peace process and the regional implications of developments in Algeria. The following is a rapporteur's summary of his off the record remarks. Tunisia's Role in the

The challenge posed to the United States by the radical regimes in the Middle East -- Libya, Iraq, Iran, and Syria -- is one of the most important foreign policy issues facing Washington today. These regimes, although weakened by the demise of the USSR, have by no means been disabled

As yesterday's vote in the Security Council again demonstrates, the cohesion of the anti-Iraq coalition is far stronger than most observers had originally predicted. Even Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi, the most maverick, anti-Western Arab leader, has been cooperating with the coalition, respecting the UN sanctions against Iraq and calling for