By Michael Wahid Hanna
08 Mar 2011 |
Feature
How the royal family addresses the increasing demands for reform will dictate where the issue of succession fits into the context of Saudi political discourse. With nascent opposition forces beginning to question the power of the monarchy, reactions to the impending succession will likely be a key indicator of the royal family's success in maintaining its social compact with its subjects.
By Michael Wahid Hanna
04 May 2010 |
World Politics Review
As Iraq's political leaders crisscrossed the region holding meetings in
various neighboring capitals in the run-up to and aftermath of the March
7 parliamentary elections, they underscored a stark reality: Iraq's future is not solely in its own
hands, and due to its weakness, the country's future course will be
shaped by both the actions and interference of its neighbors. Less
clear is Iraq's contribution to the region's future.
By Michael Wahid Hanna
23 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
In many ways, Turkey's rise as a major diplomatic player on the Iraqi
stage serves as a counterpoint to Iran's magnified role, with both
pro-actively promoting their interests by attempting to reintegrate Iraq
into the region on their own terms. That stands in stark contrast to
Iraq's Arab neighbors, who have utterly
failed to
seriously prepare for the United States' impending
withdrawal.
By Michael Wahid Hanna
01 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
Yesterday's redeployment of U.S. combat troops out of Iraqi population centers has focused attention on Iraq's current security situation. However, looking at Iraq solely through the prism of short-term
security trends clouds thinking about how the United States can best
prepare for its exit from the country, and obscures the enduring
disputes that undermine long-term prospects for
stability.
By Michael Wahid Hanna
12 May 2009 |
World Politics Review
Saudi Arabia's myopic policy of shunning Iraq has had the perverse effect of
amplifying Iran's already outsized influence there, and has also fueled Iraqi suspicions about the intentions of its
Sunni Arab neighbors. Now, as the U.S. attempts to maintain Iraqi stability
while gradually drawing down its military forces, it has increased
pressure on Sunni Arab countries to begin normalizing
relations with Baghdad.
By Michael Wahid Hanna
10 Jul 2008 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
BAGHDAD -- Alliances with the local Sunni militias that the U.S. military calls "Sons of Iraq," but which are known locally as sahwat, have had a significant impact on the
security situation in areas once ravaged by the Sunni insurgency. But the U.S. must now ensure that the government of Iraq implements concrete measures to
formalize the relationship of the sahwat to the central government. Absent such concerted action, the fragile security gains of the past two years could collapse.
By Michael Wahid Hanna
23 Apr 2008 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
The U.S. military's decision last week to release Bilal Hussein,
an Associated Press photographer who has been held by U.S. military
forces since April 2006 on accusations of links to terrorism, was not
just a blow to the U.S. military's case against one prisoner. The case also raises a question
war proponents may not want to answer. Namely, if the sovereign
institutions and political processes that the U.S. troop surge was
supposed to help foster actually take hold, will the United States
respect them?
By Michael Wahid Hanna
28 Mar 2008 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
Various explanations have been posited to make sense of the motivations of the Iraqi actors in the operation codenamed Sawlat al-Fursan (Attack of the
Knights), which has been directed against the Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM)
throughout the south of Iraq. As it's clear that such an operation could not have been undertaken without the acquiescence of the U.S. government, a more important question is: What exactly does the United States hopes to gain from green-lighting and supporting the current operations?