CMEC blog

The views expressed on this blog are the authors' and do not reflect the views of CMEC or the Conservative Party.

Spotlight on Egyptian frontrunner, Aboul Fotouh

Shadi Hamid, writing for Foreign Policy, looks at Aboul Fotouh, one of the frontrunners in the Egyptian presidential election to be held next week.

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Struggles at the top in Iran

The Associated Press assesses how internal problems in the Iranian government might open up after the upcoming Baghdad nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 countries.

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Is al-Qaeda Intervening in the Syrian Conflict?

Despite the presence of UN observers across Syria, violence continues with daily attacks, including last week’s blasts in Damascus, and there are fears that al-Qaeda may exploit the instability in Syria.

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Trouble in Tripoli: Syrian Crisis Shifts the Stage

Over the weekend clashes in Tripoli took place between residents loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and residents loyal to the Syrian opposition, which threaten to destabilise Lebanon.

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CMEC Briefing: Voices from Syria

During 18-23 April the CMEC Deputy Chairman, Adam Holloway MP and Director, Leo Docherty travelled to Lebanon to meet with a broad range of Syrian refugees, Syrian opposition activists and members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), in order to gain a deeper understanding of the ground level situation. The meetings took place in Beirut, Tripoli, the Bekaa valley and the unstable Syrian border area.
Download the PDF here.

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RIP Baroness Ritchie

CMEC was saddened to hear about the death of Baroness Ritchie, a great friend of CMEC, who was born in Aden and is seen here talking to HE The Ambassador of Yemen.

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TIME magazine’s “most influential” people from the Middle East

We look at which figures from Middle Eastern politics and cultural life have been included in TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012″ list.

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Alawites for Assad: Why the Syrian Sect Backs the Regime

Leon Goldsmith of Otago University examines the loyalty of Syria’s Alawites to the Assad regime and questions the notion that a rich, privileged Alawite class dominates the country.

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What next for the Arab League?

Shashank Joshi

Writing exclusively for CMEC, Shashank Joshi from the Royal United Services Institute considers whether the Arab League can be an effective actor in the Middle East following the events of the Arab awakening and recent turmoil in Syria.

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Iran: Will Sanctions Be Enough?

Persephone Johnstone-Burt

Persephone Johnstone-Burt writes exclusively for CMEC on Iran, the sanctions and growing domestic instability.

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Muslim Brotherhood clashes with Army over Egypt’s Constitution

Egyptian current affairs analysts Dr Elizabeth Iskander and Mina Monir give their verdict on the repercussions of Egypt’s new constitution committee and the escalating dispute between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian Army.

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Alistair Burt’s speech at Middle East Association

Alistair Burt MP, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa talks about strengthening engagement with the region at the Middle East Association’s Annual Lunch on Wednesday 21st March 2012.

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Bashar’s pyrrhic triumphs

The Economist argues that although the Syrian regime is winning battles, it is losing the war for its survival.

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Egypt’s Brotherhood to discuss presidential choice Friday

The Muslim Brotherhood Guidance Office will meet tomorrow to discuss potential presidential candidates, a senior member has told Egyptian newspaper Ahram Online.

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Lessons from the Iraq war

“It’s hard to improvise an occupation” – Harvard’s Professor Stephen M. Walt on lessons from the war in Iraq.

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