By Nathan Field
07 Feb 2011 |
Briefing
Over the course of the two-week-old protests in Egypt, the American media has been consumed with debate over how the U.S. should react. An emerging consensus argues that Washington should support the protesters' demand that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resign immediately. Such a step would not clearly serve American interests and has too many potential negative repercussions.
By Nathan Field
15 Jul 2009 |
World Politics Review
Is the long-predicted decline of Political Islam about to occur? Several
French scholars, such as Gilles Keppel and Olivier Roy, have been
making this argument since the early 1990s. The only trouble was a
subsequent string of Islamist electoral victories that seemed to
undermine their thesis. But in light of Islamist losses in
recent elections throughout the Middle East, talk
of the decline of Political Islam is reemerging.
By Nathan Field
05 Jun 2009 |
World Politics Review
Yesterday, President Barack Obama traveled to Cairo to give his long-awaited speech to the Islamic world. Judging by U.S. reactions, the speech was a huge success. But will the president's Arab and Muslim target audience follow the White House's carefully crafted script? Though it is still too early to say with certainty, early Egyptian reaction suggests the U.S. could be in for a disappointment.
By Nathan Field
16 Mar 2009 |
World Politics Review
The success of a Saudi re-education program for jihadists and a recent tactical "revision" by a notoriously radical Egyptian Islamist have led many Americans to believe
that al-Qaida and the threat it posed might be on the verge of
self-inflicted implosion, a victim of its own extremism. But is their optimism justified?
By Nathan Field
12 Jan 2009 |
World Politics Review
Israel's attack on Hamas continued through the weekend, despite
Egyptian and French efforts to broker a ceasefire. But according to several
American experts on Arab politics, while Israel might very well succeed
-- at least temporarily -- in depleting Hamas' military wing, so long
as Hamas is still in a position to reassert its control over Gaza
following the operation the conflict is likely to have the opposite
impact politically.
By Nathan Field
26 Oct 2008 |
World Politics Review
In trying to determine
whether al-Qaida is stronger or weaker today than it was seven years
ago, analysts tend to view the group exclusively
through the theoretical lens of counterterrorism, an approach that
essentially ignores the many social, cultural and historical factors that effect
al-Qaida's relation to its principle constituency. An examination of the organization's socio-cultural and historical context reveals that despite
posing a short-term tactical threat, al-Qaida's long-term
strategic prospects are relatively bleak.