Suchergebnisse

Hostile relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are a major contributing factor to political instability in the Middle East. This book argues that rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh is possible and delves into the complexities of managing their long-standing conflict. By interviewing scholars and former policy makers from the Gulf region and abroad, the author draws out the core themes, strategies, and dynamics of the conflict since the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 to form a basis of an agenda for achieving peace. The result is a fresh perspective on a dangerous and unpredictable rift that affects not only its primary parties – Iran and Saudi Arabia – but also the geopolitics, economic stability and civil wars of the wider Middle Eastern region.

While toppling decades-old authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen took only months, rebuilding these states will likely take years. This work argues that to transition to sustainable peace and stability, these societies must engage in an inclusive national reconciliation process. Based on over 200 interviews with key figures in Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen, this text identifies the greatest drivers of the polarization afflicting each country and the specific national reconciliation processes that can best address them

While toppling decades-old authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen took only months, rebuilding these states will likely take years. This work argues that to transition to sustainable peace and stability, these societies must engage in an inclusive national reconciliation process. Based on over 200 interviews with key figures in Tunisia, Libya, and Yemen, this text identifies the greatest drivers of the polarization afflicting each country and the specific national reconciliation processes that can best address them.

Chapter 1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: Rebel Statehood: Wartime Rebel Governance and the Sub-national Identity in Syria -- Chapter 3: The state in Idlib: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and complexity amid the Syrian Civil War -- Chapter 4: The Propagandistic Use of Rebel Governance: The Case of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq -- Chapter 5: Competitive Rebel Governance in Syria -- Chapter 6: Hezbollah's Relation with Iran: The Proxy-Ally Debate and Wilayat al-Faqih's Impact on Hezbollah's Nature, Governance, and Legitimacy -- Chapter 7: Ruling Without Responsibility: Badr Organization, Asaʿib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataʿib Hezbollah after defeating ISIS in Iraq -- Chapter 8: Rebel Governance Between Ideology and Pragmatism: al-Qaʿida in Yemen in 2011-2012 and in 2015-2016 -- Chapter 9: Libya after Qaddafi: Are Tribes always Rebels? -- Chapter 10: Not Rebel Governance? Hamas's Rule -- Chapter 11: Competing to Govern: Opportunities and regime responsiveness to civilian protests during the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan -- Chapter 12: Prosecuting Rebels for International Crimes.

The Middle East and North Africa region has been plagued with civil wars, international interventions, and increasing militarization, making it one of the most war-affected areas in the world today. Despite numerous mediation processes and initiatives for conflict resolution, most have failed to transform conflicts from war to peace. Seeking to learn from these past efforts and apply new research, Fraihat and Svensson present the first comprehensive approach to mediation in the Arab world, taking on cases from Yemen to Sudan, from Qatar to Palestine, Syria, and beyond. Conflict Mediation in the Arab World focuses on mediation at three different levels of analysis: between countries, between governments and armed actors inside single countries, and between different communities. In applying this holistic method, the editors identify similarities and differences in the conditions for conflict resolution and management.

The uprisings connected to the Arab Spring have thus far failed to produce social change. The dynamics of these uprisings instead generated a number of trends that are likely to continue to destabilise the Arab world and prevent peace and development. Prevailing trends in the post-Arab Spring era include the prevalence of counter revolutions, widespread violence and armed conflicts, new patterns of alliances, external interventions and thriving proxies, raising sectarian politics, ineffective governance, terrorism, and migration. While these trends have a negative impact on people's basic demands for socio-economic and political stability and development, they will provide and shape the foundations for other revolutions in the future. To avoid future revolutions and civil wars and stimulate peace and development in the MENA region, those driving patterns of instability will need to be altered.

The bloody Libyan Revolution of 2011 that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi and the resurgence of violence between factions since 2014 have led to a terrible displacement crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people uprooted within the country, and hundreds of thousands more forced to seek shelter in neighboring countries, particularly Tunisia. Those who have been uprooted range from beneficiaries of the Gaddafi regime, to persecuted ethnic minorities, to those simply caught in the crossfire. Many of these exiles live in fear of being forcibly returned to Libya where, in the absence of security, rule of law, and a functional transitional justice process, they may face incarceration, torture, and death. The continued displacement of Libyans has significant political, socio-economic, humanitarian, and human rights implications. Drawing on in-depth interviews with policymakers, practitioners, and displaced persons in Libya and Tunisia, this study analyzes the complex dimensions and implications of the Libyan displacement crisis. While resolution of this crisis hinges on a negotiated end to the Libyan civil war, this study seeks to help lay the groundwork for this process by identifying constructive approaches to improve assistance strategies, and, eventually to support durable solutions for displaced Libyans.