The month of March appears to be a consequential month for the Arab world. Over the past decades a number of events with far-reaching consequences for the region have taken place during this month. Amongst these events is the US invasion of Iraq. This month we commemorated the 20th anniversary…

The centennial anniversary of the birth of former United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali was last December. This provides an occasion to reflect not only on the career of a public figure with a unique experience at the national, regional, and international levels but also on the…

The Valdai Club has just concluded its nineteenth annual conference. Usually, it is an event where participants from around the world converge in Russia, to exchange views with Russian officials and experts on the state of the world and Russia’s role therein. This time round matters were…

The Brazilian elections have just concluded. Former President Lula has accomplished a dramatic comeback by winning the elections for the Brazilian presidency. Elections that received the most international attention of all Brazilian elections since the restoration of democracy in 1985. This is…

With the elections in Brazil scheduled for next month, the country is receiving increased international attention. The heightened interest is understandable given the likely effects of the elections on Latin America as a whole, but also on the leadership role Brazil could be in a position to…

Since the death of Mikhail Gorbachev much has been written about his legacy. Articles, documentaries and comments have been critical, as well as complimentary depending on how one was affected by his policies. In Russia he remains controversial. Some have vilified him as responsible for the…

After weeks of uncertainty, US President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East has become clear: A visit to Israel and also a visit to Bethlehem to meet with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But more significantly, a trip to Saudi Arabia which includes a summit with the GCC together with…

Winning or losing in armed conflicts is a relative and dynamic proposition. Relative because it is dependent on how the opposing side defines victory and defeat. Dynamic because the goals of the protagonists usually shift to accommodate either all or some of the following factors: evolving…

The notion of “Great Power Competition “was introduced by the Trump administration in its 2017 National Security Strategy NNS and subsequently confirmed by its 2018 National Defense Strategy NDS. China was considered the main threat to US interests. Influenced by the crisis in Ukraine, the new NNS…