Rouhani, Suleiman: Vanguards Of Moderation in Middle East Like his counterpart in Beirut, Tehran’s new President Hassan Rouhani embraces just the kind of moderation the region may need at this tumultuous time. Lebanon
Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process Faces Enormous Challenges As long as the US is not playing a forceful role, there will be numerous difficulties that could prevent the Palestinian-Israeli negotiation process from successfully moving forward. Palestine
Israel's Settlement Plan Threatens Talks Before They Begin Israel's decision to approve more settlements only adds to the widely held view that it is not interested in peace with the Palestinians. Palestine
Pardon My Turkish: Battle for 'Halal' Words Being politically correct takes another unexpected turn in Turkey as a new vocabulary permeates the social scene, further deepening political fault lines. Turkey
America Loses Yemeni People In Drone War US drone attacks on Yemeni villages have tarnished America’s image. Yemen
Gay Men in Iran's Military Can Seek Exemption Gay Iranian men desiring exemption from mandatory military service must undergo rigorous physical and medical examinations. Iran
Turkey’s Syrian Kurdish Gamble: A Double Edged Sword Turkey’s efforts to contain Syrian Kurdish autonomy while pursuing peace with its own Kurds could backfire. Syria
Turkish Fans Ponder Football Without Freedom The Turkish government fears political dissent will find its way to football games, so one major club takes controversial measures to prevent it. Turkey
US Condemns Jihadist Attacks On Syrian Kurds US follows Russia and Iran in criticizing jihadist attacks on Syrian Kurds. Syria
Rouhani and the Prospects For US-Iran Nuclear Talks Iran's new president will have to balance Iran's domestic politics with its international and regional position in the course of handling nuclear negotiations with the West. Iran
Russia’s Course in Syria Unchanged Al-Monitor’s coverage of US and Russian policies toward Syria; the protests in Egypt; and the return of reformist and Islamic chic in Iran. Egypt
Iran's Ties to Hezbollah Unchanged Although there are expectations of a more moderate approach to foreign affairs under Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Iran's relations with Hezbollah will remain the same. Palestine
Islamist Al-Shabab 2.0 Threatens Somalia Al-Qaeda-linked Somali terrorist group al-Shabab is more lethal than ever. The Horn of Africa
Syria Splits Shiite Clergy in Iraq, Iran While Shiite authorities in Iran and Iraq have historically had a close relationship, Iran has been dismayed by Najafi clerics's refusal to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war. Iraq
Why Egypt Shouldn't Break The Pro-Morsi Sit-Ins Egyptians are divided over whether Cairo's pro-Mohammed Morsi sit-ins should be allowed to continue or be broken up forcefully. Egypt
