Insisting on the establishment a Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone in the Middle East is unrealistic and creates counterproductive expectations. A Nuclear-Test-Free Zone, however, would be a step in the right direction.
Yemen’s secessionist Southern Movement threatens the country’s stability, but a military campaign against it would only further inflame its supporters and increase support for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. A political solution is required.
Turkey’s ruling party has an opportunity to free Turkey from a political system heavily influenced by the military and move towards a functioning democracy that could have an enormous impact on the entire region.
An unprecedented war of words following Israel’s announcement of a new settlement in East Jerusalem during Vice President Biden’s trip to the Middle East threatens any hope of a successful outcome to the indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
There are limits to how much foreign intervention can accomplish in Yemen. To overcome its daunting security, economic, and political challenges, Yemen’s political system needs to become less centralized and more inclusive.
The announcement of new construction in East Jerusalem that interrupted U.S. Vice President Biden’s trip to Israel to reinvigorate peace negotiations reflects the strained relations between Israel and the United States and how much remains to be done before Israeli-Palestinian negotiations can lead to real progress.
Experts fear that Yemen is rapidly becoming a center for radicalization and a haven for extremists. At the same time, a confluence of looming domestic challenges threatens to bring the country to its knees, with potentially destabilizing consequences for the region.
By scaling back its political engagement to focus on a traditional religious, educational, and social agenda, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is leaving behind an even greater lack of political competition in the country.
Al-Qaeda is not the only factor threatening Yemen’s stability. Water shortages, collapsing oil supplies, war, refugees, pirates, and poverty all put the country at risk of becoming a failed state.
Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary election will not bring about any decisive changes. Elections do not cause significant power shifts; they can only reflect the power shifts that have already taken place.