Is Oman the “Switzerland of the Middle East”?
The concept of neutrality is often stretched, but using the term to describe Oman’s foreign policy risks losing track of Oman’s peculiarities, interests, and objectives.
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The Root Cause of Anti-Regime Protests in Iran: Modernization Without Democratization
The Iranian regime is unwilling, or unable, to adapt to a society it has transformed over the past four decades.
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Kuwait’s Parliamentary Elections and Individualism
Kuwait’s upcoming elections bring hopes for a new beginning for the executive and legislative branches of government. But that depends on the elections' outcome and the relationship forged with new government leadership.
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Pro-Sadr Protests Exacerbate Risky Political Impasse in Iraq
Iraq’s Parliament, where a sit-in of Sadr supporters continues, has become the epicenter of the intra-Shia power struggle, perpetuating the country’s political crisis.
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Inscrutable Ambitions: Sadr’s Exit From Iraq’s Parliament Strengthens Rivals
Muqtada al-Sadr’s exit from Iraq’s political process seems to be a huge political miscalculation, but there is still a tough road ahead for government formation despite the change in the political map.
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Kuwait's Constitutional Stand
A sit-in by members of Kuwait's National Assembly was a relatively rare example of a successful targeted political protest to achieve limited political aims, but it is unlikely the good feelings of national unity will last.
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Pakistan’s New Government’s Bid for Gulf Financial Support
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is appealing to Gulf partners for essential economic support, which could serve as a political lifeline for the new government.
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Yemen’s Presidential Council Launches a New Era
Whether the truce holds or not, Yemen’s conflict is moving into a new phase, with its own troubling issues.
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Old Wine in New Skins: The Yemen Presidential Council
Yemen’s new presidential council was made in Saudi Arabia and backed by the UAE, which means it may struggle to find legitimacy on the ground.
Hard-Fought Iraqi Presidential Contest Signals Fraught Government Formation Ahead
The Iraqi presidency is effectively reserved for a Kurdish leader, but Salih and Zebari may point the country in very different directions.
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Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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