NSN Middle East Update
A year and a half after the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa began, Egypt and Libya have held elections and moved into the complexities of building functional, representative governments. Egypt is dealing with the struggles of an early democracy. The region continues to struggle to contain and respond to the bloodshed in Syria.
Libya
The Libyan people voted in national elections this week, just nine months after the ousting of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Independent observers have given the conduct of the elections positive marks, and early results appear to favor Mahmoud Jibril, a U.S.-educated political scientist and former acting prime minister.
News
Libya Election: Mahmoud Jibril Extends Lead
Reuters, 7/11/12
Preliminary Results Expected in Libya’s Historic Election
CNN, 7/9/12
Libya election: Count Underway After Historic Vote
BBC, 7/8/12
Commentary and Analysis
New York Times Editorial, New York Times, 7/9/12
The Arab Spring’s Spirit Still Burns in Libya
Shashank Joshi, The Telegraph, 7/9/12
Helping Libya Take Its Next Steps
Ali Suleiman Aujali, Washington Post, 7/6/12
Egypt
Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first post-Mubarak president, took office on June 30th. Morsi, the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, won a disputed June runoff against Ahmed Shafiq former prime minister under Mubarak, with 51.7% of the vote. Morsi, Egypt’s military and judiciary are now jockeying for power as the country moves to develop new institutions and explore new norms.
News
Egypt Court Overturns President Mursi Parliament Order
BBC, 7/10/12
Egypt Parliament Set to Meet, Defying Army
Reuters, 7/9/12
Egypt’s President Orders Return of Parliament
New York Times, 7/8/12
New Egypt President Takes on Military Over Parliament
CNN, 7/2/12
Egypt’s President-Elect Mursi Begins Forming Government
BBC, 6/25/12
Commentary and Analysis
Los Angeles Times, 7/10/12
Managing the Relationship with Egypt
Michelle Dunne, Washington Post 7/1/12
An Islamic State in Egypt Can Still Mean Democracy
Timothy Stanley, CNN, 6/27/12
Managing Change in Egypt Was Never Going to Be Easy
Brian Katulis and Peter Juul, 6/19/12
Syria
The Arab League called on Syrian opposition forces to unite in order to strengthen their chances of overthrowing the Assad regime as UN Special Envoy Kofi Annan seeks Iran’s help in negotiating a peaceful settlement. Meanwhile, Russia has been positioning itself as an increasingly decisive broker announcing that it was halting new shipments of weapons to the Syrian military and moving eleven warships into the region.
News
Russia Sending Warships on Maneuvers Near Syria
New York Times, 7/11/12
Al-Assad Agrees on ‘Approach’ for Ending Syria Violence; Annan Seeks Iran’s Help
CNN, 7/9/12
Russia Prods Syria’s President Assad With Message of Growing Impatience
New York Times, 7/9/12
Arab League Says Syrian Opposition Must Unite
USA Today, 7/2/12
Syria-Turkey Tension: Assad ‘Regrets’ Jet’s Downing
BBC, 7/3/12
Commentary and Analysis
Forging a Peace Plan for Syria
Kofi A. Annan, The Washington Post, 6/28/12
Syria, Where You Don’t Always Get What You Want
Brian Fishman, Foreign Policy, 7/10/12
Around the Region
Islamists in a Changing Middle East
Edited by Marc Lynch, 6/26/12
Where are the Middle East’s Revolutions Heading?
Spiegel Staff, Der Spiegel, 7/4/12
