North Africa

Train Wreck Along the Nile

The battle over Egypt's parliament is more than just a legislative disaster. It's a legal nightmare.

BY NATHAN J. BROWN | JULY 10, 2012

A Current of Faith

As a divided Libya heads toward a historic vote, an Islamic "frame of reference" unites the country's political neophytes.

BY MARY FITZGERALD | JULY 6, 2012

Qaddafi Lives

As Libya holds its first post-revolutionary elections, the Brother Leader's legacy is proving hard to overcome.

BY ALISON PARGETER | JULY 6, 2012

The Women of Tahrir Square Fight Back

The revolution in Egypt isn’t over -- at least as long as female revolutionaries have anything to say about it.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | JULY 5, 2012

Why Is It So Hard to Say 'Sorry' in French?

France has never apologized for its treatment of colonial Algeria. Why not now?

BY JONATHAN LAURENCE | JULY 5, 2012

Sudan Needs a Revolution

The protest movement against Omar al-Bashir is growing -- fast -- and it needs the world’s support.

BY AMIR AHMAD NASR | JUNE 26, 2012

Out with a Whimper

No matter who wins the presidential elections, Egypt's revolution is in trouble.

BY ASHRAF KHALIL | JUNE 18, 2012

Change Is the Only Constant

This year's Failed States Index might look like it's more of the same, but a few wild swings tell us some surprising things.

BY J. J. MESSNER | JUNE 18, 2012

Was the Arab Spring Worth It?

The people of the Middle East have paid a steep price to overthrow their dictators.

BY HUSSEIN IBISH | JULY/AUGUST 2012

10 Reasons Countries Fall Apart

States don't fail overnight. The seeds of of their destruction are sown deep within their political institutions.

BY DARON ACEMOGLU, JAMES A. ROBINSON | JULY/AUGUST 2012

Political Fat Cats, Global Edition

The United States doesn't have a monopoly on money in politics.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JULY/AUGUST 2012

Terrorized

Facts on the ground just don't square with talk of an al Qaeda comeback.

JULY/AUGUST 2012

Egypt's Subsidy Blues

When Egypt's next rulers finally tackle urgently needed economic reform, they should look to an unlikely model: Iran.

BY PETER PASSELL | JUNE 15, 2012

Egypt's Constitutional Chaos

The process of drafting a new constitution is a train wreck. But there’s a way to get it back on track.

BY MARA REVKIN, YUSSUF AUF | JUNE 14, 2012

It's Still Mubarak's Egypt

On the eve of a historic presidential election, one man's legacy still haunts the revolution.

BY STEVEN A. COOK | JUNE 13, 2012

Sit this One Out

Why Obama shouldn't use drones to go after Mali's Islamic radical separatists.

BY JAMES TRAUB | JUNE 8, 2012

Once More Unto the Breach

Egypt's battered revolutionaries can't decide if they're winning -- or on the verge of a historic defeat.

BY SARAH A. TOPOL | JUNE 4, 2012

The World in Photos This Week

An  ex-president is convicted, England celebrates, and Angela Merkel feeds a penguin.

JUNE 1, 2012

The Dictators Are Smarter Than You Think

Don't count the tyrants out. They've still got plenty of tricks up their sleeves.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | MAY 30, 2012

Romney: Year One

What would happen if you took Mitt Romney's foreign-policy promises extremely literally?

BY DANIEL DREZNER | MAY 25, 2012

The Godfathers of Tunis

Tunisia’s new government has declared war on sleaze -- but that’s much easier said than done.

BY FADIL ALIRIZA | MAY 25, 2012

In the Crosshairs

Why controlling the international arms trade can help to build stable societies.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | MAY 22, 2012

Unmanned and Dangerous

Why NATO's expanding use of drones is a disturbing trend.

BY LOUISE ARBOUR | MAY 18, 2012

Did You Hear the One about U.S. Internment Camps?

A leaked Army document on mass detentions has extremists boiling over on both the right and the left.

BY J.M. BERGER | MAY 17, 2012

The FP Survey: The Future of NATO

Does the 63-year-old alliance still matter today? We asked politicians, scholars, and other observers from both sides of the Atlantic to weigh in.

MAY 14, 2012

A Nation of Spies and Snitches

The United States is pretty darn good at infiltrating terrorist groups -- at home and abroad -- these days. But should we be worried about the social costs?

BY J.M. BERGER | MAY 9, 2012

A Man for All Seasons

Egypt's presidential front-runner is a fascinating political chameleon. But does he have enough real support to win the upcoming election?

BY SHADI HAMID | MAY 9, 2012

"Captains Stay with Their Crew"

Most of the Americans charged by Egypt in the NGO affair have since left the country. But one, Robert Becker, decided to stay and face the music.

BY MOHAMED FADEL FAHMY | MAY 2, 2012

Our Man in Baghdad

Don't look now, but the greatest threat to Middle East stability might just be the "democracy" we created in Iraq.

BY JAMES TRAUB | APRIL 27, 2012

Predators for Peace

Drones have revolutionized war. Why not let them deliver aid?

BY JACK C. CHOW | APRIL 27, 2012