Over the last years, Islamist movements and parties have more and more been able to translate their popularity into impressive election successes or victories, for example in Egypt, Iraq, and Palestine. In many states in what has been termed the "Broader Middle East," moderate Islamists are...

Islamist politics pose one of the most important and complex set of challenges that the US and Europe face today. Foreign policies have not reflected that complexity adequately, but have focused to a large degree on Islamist actors with a global jihadist agenda and the global "war on terror."...

Over the last few years, the EU and its member states have become ever more active in conflict management in the Middle East. ESDP missions in the Palestinian territories such as EUBAM Rafah and EUPOL COPPS, European involvement in the security sector in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories,...

Since the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) emerged into the light of day in June 1999, the EU's capabilities in this field have grown considerably. Twenty-three ESDP missions and operations deployed to places from the Balkans to Africa, the Middle East and even Asia testify to the...

The upheavals in the Arab world since 2011 have led to civil wars in three countries: Libya, Syria and Yemen. In all three cases, the United Nations have tried to mediate agreements between the conflicting parties to bring about peace through power-sharing. In this endeavour, the UN can lean on...

Siyria's civil war has long since been decided in favour of the regime. There is no prospect of a negotiated settlement, reconciliation or lasting stabilisation. Syria faces enormous challenges, well beyond the rebuilding of infrastructure and housing. It will also need assistance to restart its...

In December 2003, Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, announced his intention of unilaterally disengaging from the Palestinians. Meanwhile Sharon has elaborated that the disengagement will not only include the construction of a separation barrier in the West Bank, but also the withdrawal from...

On November 27 and 28, 2005 the tenth anniversary of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) was to be celebrated with a summit of heads of state and government in Barcelona. The high-level meeting was supposed to demonstrate Europe's closeness to and solidarity with its largely Muslim...

Following its unexpected landslide victory in the elections on January 25, 2006, Hamas will hold an absolute majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council (74 of 132 seats). After the result was announced, Hamas - which contested the election as a party under the name of 'Change and Reform' -...