Sami Moubayed
Sami Moubayed is a Syrian analyst and historian, and author of “Under the Black Flag: At the Frontiers of the New Jihad” (IB Tauris, 2015).
Read moreThe Contest for Lebanon’s Presidency
Lebanese President Michel Aoun is seeking to extend his mandate, either through another term or by handing the presidency to his son-in-law and political heir, Gibran Basil. But the 86-year-old Aoun and wildly unpopular Basil
Read moreThe Hariri Brothers & the Future of Lebanese Politics
In early September, gunfire erupted in Tareek Jdideh, an overwhelmingly Sunni neighborhood of Beirut, between supporters of the two al-Hariri brothers, Saad and Bahaa. It was an open secret in Lebanon that the sons of
Read moreJordan Reverses Course with the Muslim Brotherhood
The July 16 decision of Jordan’s top court to officially dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood was a huge blow to the Islamist organization, which had been legally operating in the kingdom for 75 years. Amman’s move to end
Read moreHow Health Diplomacy Could Benefit Israelis and Palestinians
Health diplomacy has been dismissed by populist governments in recent years as costly and unnecessary. However, reinforcing health diplomacy during the pandemic is a way to re-establish much diminished and sorely missed U.S leadership and
Read moreHezbollah Sees an Opportunity in COVID-19
Hezbollah has deployed thousands of medical professionals across Lebanon to help the Ministry of Health fight the spread of the coronavirus. The effort is a shrewd one, helping soften the divisive party’s image among its rivals and
Read moreAs Turkish Currency Returns, Syria Relives a Tumultuous History
The Syrian lira seems to be in a freefall, dropping to around 3,000 to the U.S. dollar, compared to 50 a dollar 10 years ago. This dramatic depreciation of the currency, unprecedented in the country’s
Read moreRussia, Turkey and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood
Numerous factors have put Syria’s constitutional talks on hold. Foremost is the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes it impossible to bring some 150 negotiators into one room anymore. But even without this global crisis, deep divisions between
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