Tahrir Forum

Four Lessons from the ISIS Attacks in Beirut and Sinai

November 15, 2015

Four important dimensions of the recent developments in the Middle East—the terror bombs in south Beirut, and the apparent bomb that brought down the Russian airliner.

Iran’s Not-So-Radical Endgame in Syria

By Reza Marashi

November 13, 2015

For the first time, America has recognized Iran’s place at the negotiating table in resolving Syria’s civil war. Diplomacy between the two sides hinges on understanding what drives Iranian policy.

We Cannot Afford a Two-Year Peace-Making Pause

By Rami G. Khouri

November 11, 2015

Putting on hold now for two years serious diplomacy aimed at reaching a permanent peace agreement will only allow attitudes of militancy and murder to continue their upward trends.

Behind Iraq’s Crony State

By Yezid Sayigh

November 10, 2015

ISIS and other militants dominate the headlines, but Iraq’s citizens face daily another, equally terrifying threat: a failing, and criminally corrupt, state.

Palestine, Nestled Between Pakistan and Panama

By Rami G. Khouri

November 8, 2015

Maher Nasser, a 53-year-old Palestinian United Nations staffer in New York for months trained for, and then last week completed, the New York City Marathon race. He did so registered under the “State of Palestine.”

Sending a Message to Saudi Shia

By Hala Al-Dosari

November 6, 2015

Amid domestic terror attacks, Saudi Arabia’s differentiated approach to Shia protesters and Sunni jihadis will likely lead to more home-grown violence.

The AKP’s Resilience in Turkey

By Burcu Ozcelik

November 5, 2015

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party successfully convinced a cross-section of voters that it was the only party able to maintain domestic security.

Unraveling Yemen’s Civil War

By Adam Baron

November 5, 2015

More than sectarianism or foreign intervention, the civil war is driven by broken politics. In Yemen, the self-interest of leaders creates political dead ends.

Are Vicious Islamists the Real Issue?

By Rami G. Khouri

November 4, 2015

Strangely for those Middle Eastern and foreign governments that fight ISIS, the more they attack it the greater seem to be its territorial spread and adherents.

Vienna Talks Mark a Historic Moment for Syria and the Region

By Rami G. Khouri

November 1, 2015

The meetings this week in Vienna on Thursday and Friday suggest that several significant and positive changes are taking place across several conflict zones and stress points in the Middle East.

Erdoğan’s Dangerous Game in Turkey

By Quinn Mecham

October 29, 2015

Turkey’s AKP now seems prepared to do almost anything to stay in power. Once hailed as a democratic model for the Middle East, the government has veered towards authoritarianism.

Leaving Syrians No Options

By Brent Eng and José Ciro Martínez

October 28, 2015

By destroying rebel groups’ attempts at local governance, Russian military assistance is helping Assad present his government as the only viable force to rule Syria.

Is Washington a Land of Honest Analysts or Snake Oil Salesmen?

By Rami G. Khouri

October 28, 2015

Two respected organizations have launched major projects to probe deep into the problems that plague the Middle East and that make U.S.-Middle Eastern relations so challenging and complex.

Refugee Crisis Calls for International Solidarity

By Michael Møller

October 25, 2015

On the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, the UN director-general in Geneva asks what happened to international solidarity. The world, and not only Europe, is responsible for the refugee crisis roiling international relations.

The Bizarre, Dangerous Worldview of Kissinger and Washington

By Rami G. Khouri

October 25, 2015

Kissinger’s several sensible observations are swamped by gross political distortions and omissions, which are all the more dangerous and tragic because they are widely shared in policy-making circles in Washington.

A New Chapter in Jordan’s Electoral Saga

By Kirk H. Sowell

October 23, 2015

Despite initial optimism, Jordan’s draft election law does little to erase parties’ disadvantage against tribal candidates.

Five Generations of Palestinians, and No Surrender in Sight

By Rami G. Khouri

October 21, 2015

The young boys in Jerusalem and other parts of Palestine who regularly are killed, injured, colonized, and jailed by Israelis, and routinely fight back, these are our fifth Palestinian generation in the struggle against Zionism.

The State of Alliances in Egypt’s Parliamentary Elections

By Christopher J. Cox

October 21, 2015

Smaller secular parties are missing out on the advantages of electoral alliances, driven by divisions over party domineering and finances.

Behind the Palestinian Stabbing Spree

By Allison Hodgkins

October 20, 2015

Since its victory in the Six-Day War, Israel has sought to tip the demographic balance in Jerusalem. Palestinians have lost not only control of the city’s future, but any hope of living normal lives there.

Lebanon’s Stalemate

By Nabeel Khoury

October 18, 2015

The turmoil in Lebanon seems destined to continue for some time to come. Nabeel Khoury explains Lebanon’s political stalemate, and why neither the protest movement nor the country’s political leaders can fix a failing state.