The “2016 White Paper on German Security Policy and the Future of the Bundeswehr” is the most imperative recent document to lay out the Germany’s principles and tools in shaping security policy at large. It discusses key elements of security policy, describes the international security environment, identifies strategic priorities, and points out areas of engagement in which Germany has the opportunity to shape policy. On first read, the paper´s most noticeable strength is the depth in which it explores its many concerns, from traditional policy power plays to the topical challenges of mass migration and climate change. The paper a

This analysis strives to factually present the evolution of Germany’s foreign and security policy vis-à-vis the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Iraq. It assesses the question of whether German foreign policy is guided by a new doctrine, insofar as it envisages to assume more security policy responsibility on the global stage, as stated in the recently published “2016 White Paper on German Security Policy and the Future of the Bundeswehr.” 

When Mustafa Hijri, the secretary-general of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (Hezbî Dêmokiratî Kurdistanî Êran, also known as Partî Dêmokiratî Kurdistanî Êran ), invited young Iranian Kurds to join his party in a speech delivered on March 2016, several Kurdish analysts and activists interpreted his message as an attempt to restart the xebati chekdari, which authorized the use of arms against the government of the Islamic Republic. Others were less convinced. As the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) has taken up arms in the provinces of Iranian Kurdistan and Iranian A

By: Hyeju Jeong, Duke University History Department While the Chinese Muslim diaspora population in Saudi Arabia is smaller than the diaspora populations of South Asia, Central Asia or Southeast Asia, whose historical ties with the coasts of the Red Sea are known to have left enduring vestiges in and around Mecca, Chinese Muslim communities have forged their own enclaves in the Hijaz and beyond for the past century or so, making permanent homes in different parts of the Kingdom. Journeying from various parts of China, they arrived i

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 Ennahda, the Tunisian movement and political party, held its 10th congress from May 20 to May 22, 2016. The event was closely followed by local, regional, and international media and attended by high-level dignitaries and delegations.  Due to the private nature of the congressional sessions, one can only read about what has transpired through leaked reports from the closed sessions: since these reports are leaked by movement leaders and senior members and intended to influence the public and the Tunisian political class in particular, they are often of little help in understanding ‘what is happening insid

Publication Title: Masarat 24 “Friction at the Helm: Four Decades of Amity, Conflict, and Reconciliation between Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ali Khamenei” Date of Publication: Rajab – Shaban, 1437 – April – May, 2016. This issue of Masarat traces the ongoing competition and ideological clash between the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, which for the past thirty years has had a significant impact on the Iranian political scene. The 24th issue of Masarat focuses on the history of the on-off rivalry between t

In this paper Dr. Dania Kolielat ElKhatib discusses generally the elements needed to start a lobby as well as the tools needed to build it. It is written with an Arab Gulf audience in mind. The paper gives a general overview on lobbying, on the Arab American community and its organisations, on the narratives through which Arab states can engage them, and on the structure needed to create the type of coordination among different Arab American groups which will ultimately result in a “lobby.”  The paper consults literature on the history and methods of lobbying and does not by any means represent a concrete

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