North Africa

Given the administration's reluctance to act in Syria and other hotspots, President Obama is wise not to diminish US influence further by cutting ties with the Egyptian military.

An expert on jihadist movements compares Egypt's latest crackdown on the Brotherhood with past efforts to suppress the group.

By disorganizing Egypt's most cohesive Islamist group, the generals have turned hundreds of thousands of deeply ideological Muslim Brothers into free radicals who may no longer listen to their typically cautious leaders.

Michael Totten, a contributing editor for World Affairs, interviews Dr. Trager regarding the direction of Egypt's political dynamics since Morsi's ouster.

The government's total failure to deliver security or basic services has given Ansar al-Sharia in Libya ample room to recover from the backlash that followed last year's consulate attack.

Although Washington cannot dispel the existential fight between the military and the Brotherhood, it can exert influence in other ways.

Leaked videos show that although ASL's public image has been tied to its missionary work in recent months, the group is also still active in training individuals to fight in Syria.

The Guardian website recently launched a new feature asking readers to weigh in on current affairs, then having an expert respond to them. In this edition, the editors asked Washington Institute fellow Eric Trager to assess the viability of a detailed plan (submitted by reader "2cents") for putting Egypt on

While more evidence is needed to determine whether AQIM or other jihadi factions are linked to the latest assassination of a secular politician in Tunisia, such groups will continue to play a role in the country.