Articles written by James M. Dorsey
By James M. Dorsey
02 Feb 2011 |
Briefing
It's time to think the unthinkable: Saudi Arabia and other
oil-rich Persian Gulf states may be next in line to confront widespread
popular discontent. Rumblings of popular restlessness are bubbling to the surface in the
Gulf. To quell rising anger, Arab leaders are scrambling to implement measures ranging from cash handouts, to
cosmetic changes of government, to a renewed emphasis on job-creation.
By James M. Dorsey
10 Jan 2011 |
Briefing
The Middle East and North Africa welcomed the New Year with rare protests in an arc stretching from Algeria to Kuwait, directed against repressive regimes at home rather than a foreign power. Even if they are unlikely to repeat the regime-toppling successes of the velvet revolutions of Eastern Europe, the protests reflect increased chafing at disenfranchisement and lack of opportunity and good governance.
By James M. Dorsey
19 Nov 2010 |
Briefing
For a number of reasons, the Obama administration has been notably silent on human rights issues in the run-up to Egypt's Nov. 28 parliamentary elections. But for the U.S., the long-term risks of being perceived as perpetuating
authoritarian rule in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world outweigh the short-term benefits of turning a blind eye to flagrant
human-rights violations and anti-democratic measures.
By James M. Dorsey
02 Nov 2010 |
Briefing
Oil and gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean are ratcheting up
tensions in a region that already has its fair share of pernicious
disputes. Rival communities on the divided island of Cyprus, as well as
Turkey and arch-enemies Lebanon and Israel are staking claims in the new oil frontier. Rather than providing an opportunity for stability through economic
cooperation, the discoveries raise the specter of renewed conflict.
By James M. Dorsey
26 Oct 2010 |
Briefing
Rather than weakening militants, Western
counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies in Yemen and Somalia are fueling
radicalism and turning wide swathes of the population against the West. With little real effort to economically and politically stabilize the two countries, U.S. military and security support exacerbates local fault lines
and strengthens deep-seated anti-Americanism.
By James M. Dorsey
12 Oct 2010 |
Briefing
The U.S. and EU are pressuring members of the Gulf
Cooperation Council to forge closer ties with Yemen in a bid to
link the fight against al-Qaida to tangible economic benefits for the
Arab world's poorest nation. The Obama administration believes the endorsement of Yemen's 10-year-old request for GCC membership could prompt a more favorable response when the group meets in Abu Dhabi in December.
By James M. Dorsey
29 Sep 2010 |
Briefing
An increasingly vicious battle between pro- and
anti-Syrian factions in Lebanon is likely to determine the country's ability
to resist Syrian interference in its internal politics. Also
at stake is the future of a United Nations
investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri. The dispute leaves Prime Minister Saad Hariri on the horns of a dilemma, and Lebanon at a crossroads.
By James M. Dorsey
21 Sep 2010 |
World Politics Review
Last week's kidnapping of seven foreigners,
including five Frenchmen, by al-Qaida-linked militants in a uranium
mining town in Niger has increased pressure on both France and the
EU to become more militarily involved in the region's fight
against jihadists. The kidnapping threatens France's major source of
uranium for its nuclear power plants and throws down the gauntlet for the EU in its counterterrorism efforts.
By James M. Dorsey
01 Sep 2010 |
World Politics Review
A covert Israeli-Lebanese intelligence war as well as a recent Lebanese-Israeli border clash have persuaded Lebanese President Michael Sulaiman and Prime
Minister Saad Hariri to increase coordination between Lebanon's army and intelligence services and Hezbollah. The shift has created policy dilemmas for the United States and France, which have both designated the group as a terrorist organization.
By James M. Dorsey
12 Aug 2010 |
World Politics Review
A recent rocket attack on the twin Red Sea resorts of Eilat in
Israel and Aqaba in Jordan raises the specter of renewed Bedouin
violence in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, where security forces are
struggling to fight rising crime, stem illegal immigration, stymie
terrorist threats and protect oil and gas pipelines.
By James M. Dorsey
11 Aug 2010 |
World Politics Review
Pakistan's worst flooding in almost a century may be remembered as
much for the magnitude of the disaster as for the fact that it
constituted a major setback in the government's efforts to defeat Islamist militants. There is a long list of natural and
man-made disasters in Islamic countries in which militant Islamists have
garnered popularity by responding effectively with relief
and emergency aid.
By James M. Dorsey
30 Jul 2010 |
World Politics Review
Stepped-up hostilities between Turkish forces and Kurdish guerrillas
in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq coupled
with a high-powered Iraqi Kurdish campaign to achieve greater autonomy
are complicating U.S. efforts to ensure that Iraq remains united once
American troops leave the country. The increased hostilities couldn't
come at a worse time for the Obama administration.
By James M. Dorsey
13 Jul 2010 |
World Politics Review
Tension between Iran and the United Arab Emirates is rising after the
UAE became the first Gulf state to publicly signal endorsement of
military force to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Though the UAE Foreign Ministry later repudiated remarks
made by its ambassador to the United States, the comments offer a rare insight into the thinking behind closed doors of a key U.S.
ally.
By James M. Dorsey
06 Jul 2010 |
World Politics Review
Virtually unnoticed, U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime
Minister Benyamin Netanyahu have quietly set the stage to move forward
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, mend their tense personal relations and
build an effective working relationship. In a series of low-key moves, both men have worked to ensure that
their meeting today demonstrates improved relations
since Netanyahu's last visit in March.
By James M. Dorsey
30 Jun 2010 |
World Politics Review
Once implacable enemies, Turkey and the autonomous Kurdish
Regional Government in northern Iraq are forging ever-closer political
and economic ties, independent of the Iraqi central government in
Baghdad. The relationship is blossoming despite the
failure of Turkey's domestic "Kurdish initiative," but could be threatened by a recent wave of attacks from the northern Iraq-based Kurdish guerrilla group, the PKK.