Abstract: In 2011 and 2012, a wave of popular uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East shook the region’s autocratic regimes, prompting euphoric reactions in the West about an “Arab Spring” and a supposed new age of democracy. While the overthrow of authoritarian regimes can give democracy a chance to bloom, it has also created opportunities for a wide spectrum of…
Senior Fellow Peter Brookes discusses Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's address to his country on the sweeping decree he issues as well as the Egyptian street protests on Fox News' 'MONEY with Melissa Francis'.…
Although the current Gaza crisis is in many ways reminiscent of the last flare-up in December 2008–January 2009, there are important differences this time around. Hamas’s terrorist reach now includes Israel’s heartland cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv due to long-range Iranian rockets. However, Israel’s new Iron Dome missile defense system has mitigated this threat. The…
Testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia September 20, 2012 My name is James Phillips. I am the Senior Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs at The Heritage Foundation. The views I express in this testimony are my own, and should not be construed as representing any official…
The Obama Administration is finalizing an aid package to Egypt that includes forgiving approximately $1 billion of Egypt’s debt to the United States. This is in addition to about $1.5 billion in annual U.S. foreign aid. However, the lax reaction of Egypt’s new Islamist government to the violent demonstrations at the U.S. embassy in Cairo has raised questions about the…
Thatcher Fellow Luke Coffey discusses the embassy attacks in the Middle East and the response from the U.S. on Price of Business radio.…
Senior Fellow Peter Brookes discusses the recent attacks on U.S. citizens and the death of Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens on CNN's Early Start.…
Egypt is preparing a military offensive against Islamist militants in the Sinai who have launched a series of terrorist attacks against Egyptian border guards in an effort to weaken the central government and provoke a war with Israel. This campaign is expected to include armored forces and air strikes in the first major Egyptian military action in the demilitarized Sinai…
Though this week’s declaration of Mohammed Morsi as Egypt’s first freely-elected president is a significant milestone in the ancient Arab state’s history, the battle for the future of this key country isn’t over. Actually, far from it. Egypt is still quite divided some 16 months after former-President Hosni Mubarak ceded power to the Supreme Council of the Armed…
In recent months, Egyptian–American relations have severely deteriorated due to Cairo’s politically motivated prosecution of several U.S.-funded nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) involved in democracy building. The fact that these civil society efforts, which were tolerated in Egypt before the fall of President Hosni Mubarak last year, now are considered criminal…
Abstract: The Egyptian government has played a major role in creating and maintaining a religiously intolerant environment in Egypt that is hostile to non-Muslims and any Muslims who deviate from government-endorsed religious norms and traditions. This intolerant environment that stifles independent thinking and religious liberty is the natural breeding ground for…
As millions march in the streets of Cairo, it is far too soon to tell whether the upheaval will deliver the economic and political freedoms that the people demand. History is littered with radical transformations that have taken societies in radically different directions. The French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, and the Iranian Revolution left their people…
THE revolution in Egypt presents policy through a looking glass: what you see depends on who you are. If you want stability, you see a failed state. If you value freedom, you see it in the streets. If you fear autocrats, you see the 30 years of emergency rule. If you fear Islamists, you see the Muslim Brotherhood in the alleys. Egypt may be all of these. Or it may be…
The “Arab Spring” has targeted several regimes in the Middle East: Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak has stepped down, leaving the future of the country uncertain; Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh cling to power; Libya’s Muammar Qadhafi has vowed to fight to the death despite the United States and NATO lining up against him. The U.S. needs more clear and…
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has turned Gaza into a hellish battlefield as part of its long-term strategy to destroy Israel. The militant Islamist group has essentially taken Gaza's 1.5 million inhabitants hostage by putting a higher priority on killing Israelis than on protecting Palestinians. Hamas thugs continue to hide among Palestinian civilians while…
Abstract: Russia is pursuing a Middle Eastern policy that is designed to reduce U.S. and Western influence in the Middle East, even at the risk of Islamist terrorism, which is a growing problem in Russia. It views the recent upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa as an American conspiracy to undermine Russia and friendly regimes in the region. Russia’s Soviet…
It would be easier to forgive the Obama administration’s lackluster handling of the political crisis in Egypt over the last couple weeks if things were going our way elsewhere in the Middle East. Unfortunately, that’s not even close to happening. Start with Iran. Despite two years of engagement, Tehran is still developing nuclear weapons and significantly…
Egypt’s transitional military regime threw down a direct challenge to the Obama Administration on Monday when government prosecutors announced that 43 people, including 19 Americans, will stand trial for allegedly interfering in Egypt’s internal politics. Egyptian officials claim that they illegally funded political groups in Egypt’s parliamentary elections, while the…
With all of the upheaval in the Middle East, the question naturally arises: What lessons are the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and especially the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), likely to have learned from all of this upheaval? Particularly, are the Chinese likely to interpret it as underscoring the need to become more democratic? The Chinese reaction thus far suggests…
Turmoil is spreading across the Middle East, and the consequences of these dramatic changes will be far-reaching. The United States has considerable interests in the region, but the U.S. government needs to both exercise leadership now and develop a long-term plan for protecting the nation’s interests and supporting the cause of liberty. Heritage research provides a guide…
This morning, by a vote of 154 nations in favor (including the United States), 23 abstentions, and three against (Syria,...…
President Obama Wednesday stated during an appearance with Israeli President Shimon Peres that “the state of Israel...…
As President Obama visits Israel, one of the biggest elephants in the room is the ongoing financial crisis just across...…
Secretary of State John Kerry returns tomorrow to the United States after his first foreign trip as a member of the...…
Israel was a conspicuous omission when the itinerary of Secretary of State John Kerry’s first trip overseas to Europe...…
In his State of the Union address, President Obama showed a stunning lack of reality on terrorism and the Arab Spring....…
Senator Rand Paul (R–KY) will deliver remarks Wednesday at The Heritage Foundation laying out his ideas for “Restoring...…
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi today signed into law Egypt’s new constitution, which his fractured opposition has...…
Two years ago this week, the tragic suicide of a young Tunisian fruit seller…
Quick—rush to Vegas and lay down a bet on this weekend’s headlines. Here is a short list of what we all might be talking...…
Senior Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs