EGYPT-U.S.: The Brotherhood Bogeyman

While the many and far-reaching implications of Friday's transfer of power to what is apparently a military junta in Egypt have yet to be absorbed here, the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in any transition to a more democratic regime is certain to figure high on the political agenda.

Gap Widens Between U.S. and Arab World

Arab public opinion will become increasingly difficult for the United States to favourably influence in light of recent regional unrest, according to experts speaking at a conference organised by the Brookings Institute on Wednesday.

All Eyes on Egypt’s High Command

After 30 years in power, a handful of assassination attempts, the historical backing of five United States presidencies, 68 billion dollars in U.S. aid and 18 consecutive days of massive, pro-democracy demonstrations, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak finally ceded power Friday, leaving observers in Washington wondering what happens next.

Egypt’s U.S.-Armed Military in Transitory Commanding Role

When embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reluctantly called it quits after more than two weeks of mass demonstrations against his 30-year-old authoritarian regime, he temporarily turned over the country to an institution trained, armed and nurtured by the United States: the 350,000- strong military.

Arab Women Lead the Charge

Asmaa Mahfouz, a 26-year-old Egyptian woman who two weeks ago had only one name, now boasts at least three. These include "A woman worth 100 men", "The girl who crushed Mubarak" and "The leader of the Egyptian revolution".

U.S.: Military Intervention Trumping Humanitarian Aid

In the midst of a belt-tightening political climate in which pledges by prominent lawmakers to slash the United States' foreign affairs budget will likely soon be realised, some rights groups and experts are concerned about the increasingly blurry distinction between security and development in the face of shrinking resources.

U.S.-IRAN: Unrealistic Agenda Undermined Nuke Talks

No observers of U.S. relations with Iran over the past three decades were surprised when late-January talks in Istanbul failed to hint at, let alone deliver, a breakthrough that would ease tensions between the Islamic Republic and the West.

Jordan Feels a Jolt

The wave of political protests that has struck parts of the Middle East and North Africa over the past few weeks has also affected the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The protest movement here, initiated in the wake of the Tunisian Jasmine revolution, underscores the population’s demand for political reform.

EGYPT-U.S.: Washington Voices Impatience with Regime

Amid the continuing stand-off between protestors and the Egyptian government, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama appeared Wednesday to be losing patience with both President Hosni Mubarak and his new vice president, Gen. Omar Suleiman.

SUDAN: Rights Groups Fear Quid Pro Quo for Peaceful Transition

Amid renewed pockets of unrest throughout Sudan and continuing violence in Darfur, government officials in Khartoum announced Monday that a whopping 98.83 percent of southern voters – numbering more than 3.8 million in a country of over 42.3 million – cast their ballots in favour of secession during last month's highly anticipated referendum.

No More Immunity for George W. Bush – Abroad, at Least

Former U.S. President George W. Bush may have mostly vanished from the headlines since January 2009, but the alleged crimes committed by his administration are not forgotten.

EGYPT-U.S.: Washington Fumbles Messaging

Only four days ago, the administration of President Barack Obama appeared to be siding with the hundreds of thousands of Egyptian demonstrators calling for a quick end to Hosni Mubarak's 30-year reign, even if it didn't call explicitly for the Egyptian president to resign.

Palestinian Streets Quiet as PA Suppresses Protests

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is using brute force and intimidation tactics - similar to those deployed in Cairo - to suppress pro-Egyptian and Tunisian protests in the West Bank.

Evidence of 2002 Taliban Offer Damages Myth of al Qaeda Ties

The central justification of the U.S.-NATO war against the Afghan Taliban - that the Taliban would allow al Qaeda to return to Afghanistan - has been challenged by new historical evidence of offers by the Taliban leadership to reconcile with the Hamid Karzai government after the fall of the Taliban government in late 2001.

U.S.-EGYPT: Bush’s Democracy Sage Offers Obama Advice

With then-U.S. President George W. Bush's endorsement of his book, Natan Sharanky, the Ukrainian Soviet dissident turned Likud politician in Israel, rose to super-stardom in the world of democracy promotion.

From Tahrir to Times Square, Protestors Rally in New York

Cairo's pro-democracy movement stretched from Tahrir Square to Times Square Friday, as hundreds of people gathered in New York City to urge the worldwide community to throw their support behind the Egyptian peoples' fight for self- determination.

Lobbyists Help Egyptian Officials Get Aid, Support From U.S.

When Major General Mohamed Said Elassar, assistant to Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the Egyptian minister of defence, came to the U.S. capital last April, he was given the equivalent of a red carpet welcome. The delegation of high-ranking Egyptian military officials that he was leading was ushered from one Congressional office to the next, from the Pentagon to the State Department.

EGYPT-U.S.: Obama Pressed to Pressurise Military

On the eve of massive planned protests dubbed "Day of Departure" in Egypt, continuing attacks by pro-government conspirators on anti-government protestors and roundups of human rights activists and foreign journalists are contributing to pressures on the administration of President Barack Obama to take a tougher line, including withholding military aid, toward the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

OP-ED: The Fox Guarding the Henhouse

The extraordinary events of January 2011 in Egypt should prove one point for good: Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, U.S. presidents wish their favoured Arab states would forever remain nice, docile autocracies.

U.S.-EGYPT: Neo-Cons Split on Mubarak

The ongoing crisis in Egypt has resulted in a rare split among U.S. hawks, as some leading neo-conservatives have called for Washington to help oust President Hosni Mubarak, while others have joined the Israeli government in quietly supporting Egyptian leader against protesters calling for his ouster.

U.S.-EGYPT: Obama Calls for Transition “Now”

Hours after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak vowed to stay in place until September's elections, the Barack Obama administration sent its strongest signal yet that the aging autocrat and one-time staunch U.S. ally must relinquish his hold on power sooner rather than later.