Human Security in the New Middle East

What is “human security”? When the term “security” is used among policy makers and political scientists, more often than not it refers to the security of states, not the security of those who live within them. The term “human security” was therefore invented to...

The Rise and Decline of ISIS

What is ISIS? Farthest expansion of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (2014) ISIS—also known as the Islamic State, ISIL, and Daesh—is a group committed to salafi principles and jihadi tactics. It is extremely brutal. The group has regularly beheaded...

The Syria Imbroglio

How did the Syrian uprising begin? Syria The Syrian uprising has been going on for such a long time, and has engendered so much violence and destruction, that it is not easy to remember its beginnings. Those beginnings, as cliché would...

The Arab Uprisings and their Fallout

How did the Arab uprisings begin? On December 17, 2010, a Tunisian street vendor, Muhammad Bouazizi, set himself on fire in front of the local government building in Sidi Bouzid, a town in central Tunisia. Earlier in the day, a policewoman had confiscated his...

Before the Deluge: The Middle East, 1945–2011

What is the Middle East? The Middle East “Middle East” is one of several terms that refer to the territory of southwest Asia and North Africa. Other terms for the same region include Greater Middle East, Near East, and Middle East and...

Patrons, Proxies, and Freelancers: The International Relations of the New Middle East

How much did US strategy in the Middle East change under Barack Obama? Measured on American terms, the United States was extraordinarily successful in the Middle East during the Cold War. Although it was not able to secure the peaceful resolution of all conflicts...