News
The Great Game: Obscure History Made Accessible
By Alex Rand
To most readers, the idea of cracking open a book on Central Asian history sounds unpleasant. Unfamiliar places and strange names tend to throw off most western readers, since…
Self Defense Training in the Middle East: More Than a Rape Prevention Strategy
by Rachel LaPointe
“Women don’t know how strong they truly are,” says Lina Khalifeh, founder and owner of SheFighter, the first Middle Eastern self-defense academy and martial arts studio…
Taming the Hydra: US Policy in Iraq in the Post-IS Landscape
By Tophie Fisher
On Monday October 17, 2017,the battle to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the hands of the so-called Islamic State (IS) began. The offensive, which is a joint operation…
Water Wars in Yemen
By Natalie Hettle
Yemen’s water crisis is the worst in the Middle East. Yemen is located on a dry, semi-arid portion of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen has no rivers unlike Syria, Egypt, Iraq…
A War Among Friends
By Alex Rand
The age-old adage goes “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. However, the United States now finds itself in a situation of “the enemy of my friend is still my friend”. In the…
Recent Israeli-Palestinian Relations: Intransigence Worsens, Despite Continued Efforts
By Tophie FIsher
As one of the most iconic and perpetual conflicts in the past century, Israeli-Palestinian relations in 2016 remain mired in the same caustic struggle that characterized…
The Suez Canal: A Route for Economic Stability in Egypt?
By: Taylor Giordullo
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the nationalization of the Suez Canal, a landmark feat for Egypt that defined it as an independent nation. On July 26,…
Financing Terrorism
by Gabriel Giddens
In March we held a symposium that addressed the complex issues associated with extremist jihadi groups in the Middle East. The entire symposium can be viewed here.…
Update on the Kurds in Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran
by Gabriel Giddens
The following gives updates on the Kurds in Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran.
Iraq
Late last year, the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional…