Human Rights Double Standard: Iran and Saudi Arabia

by Shireen T. Hunter   The question of how to help promote human rights globally has always had a political dimension. States often press these issues in the case of those countries of which they disapprove and ignore or downplay… Continue Reading

Glimmers of a Future in Iraq?

by Graham E. Fuller Iraqi politics are in turmoil—nothing new here. Not surprisingly, the post-invasion order is taking a long time to shake down, given the destruction of the old. Entirely new relationships had to be forged under the new,… Continue Reading

Turmoil in Eastern Saudi Arabia

by Giorgio Cafiero and Alex Stout The January 2 execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, a popular Shi’ite cleric from Awamiya in eastern Saudi Arabia, set off angry protests worldwide. From Michigan to London, and from Bahrain to Kashmir, Shi’ite… Continue Reading

Kissinger on the Middle East: Old Wine in Old Bottles

by Robert E. Hunter Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger last held political office 39 years ago. Yet he remains foreign policy’s pundit primus inter pares in the United States if not also the world. Like the old E. F.… Continue Reading

Tikrit: Threat or Opportunity for Iran’s Regional Hegemony?

by Arash Reisinezhad Although Iraq’s regular army, along with U.S.-led coalition aircraft, eventually restored Baghdad’s control over Tikrit last week, major credit for the victory over the so-called Islamic State (ISIS or IS) belonged to Iraq’s eastern neighbor. It was… Continue Reading