Africa Horn Now

"We don't take sides; we help you see more sides."

Africa Horn Now

UPFRONT

Saudi Arabia and Iran’s Forever Fight

By

Aaron David Miller and Jason Brodsky | 13 January 2016 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS  Four Reasons Conflict Will Last Anyone who thinks the current tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran are a passing phase ought to take a deep breath and remain calm. Although the current crisis is unlikely to lead to a military confrontation, a much hotter rivalry may be with us for some time. … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia and Iran’s Forever Fight

Empire Strikes Back

By

Emanuele Saccarelli and Latha Varadarajan | 17 December 2015 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS Imperialism, Past and Present In 2010, a disturbing report made its entry into an already upsetting news cycle. Members of a U.S. Army brigade, assembled into a self-proclaimed “kill team,” had indiscriminately targeted civilians in southern Afghanistan. As trophies for their deeds, the … [Read more...] about Empire Strikes Back

Winning Hearts, Minds, and Independence

By

Herman J. Cohen | 4 January 2016 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS How the United States Approached Post-Colonial Africa It was midnight on October 9, 1962, in Kampala, Uganda—the former British colony at the source of the White Nile on the shores of Lake Victoria. The Namboole National Stadium was full. Katharine, Duchess of Kent, represented the British Crown and … [Read more...] about Winning Hearts, Minds, and Independence

Saudi Arabia’s Last-Ditch Effort to Stop America’s Pivot to Iran

By

Dan De Luce | 5 January 2016 | FOREIGN POLICY Did Riyadh execute Nimr to show the West that Tehran is still a loose cannon? Saudi Arabia’s escalating diplomatic war with Iran is part of a new attempt to derail what Riyadh sees as a clear American shift towards Tehran. Unfortunately for the kingdom, it probably won’t work. That’s because the Obama administration has … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia’s Last-Ditch Effort to Stop America’s Pivot to Iran

How Relations Between Saudi Arabia And Iran Reached A Breaking Point

By

Jessica Schulberg Foreign Affairs Reporter | 5 January 2016 | THE HUFFINGTON POST The two countries have never been friends, but the increased tensions in recent months have a lot to do with the United States. WASHINGTON -- Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have always been tense at best, with the two countries constantly competing for influence in the Middle … [Read more...] about How Relations Between Saudi Arabia And Iran Reached A Breaking Point

The Incredible Thing We Do During Conversations

By

 Ed Yong | 4 Jan 2016 | The Atlantic When we take turns speaking, we chime in after a culturally universal short gap. One of the greatest human skills becomes evident during conversations. It’s there, not in what we say but in what we don’t. It’s there in the pauses, the silences, the gaps between the end of my words and the start of yours. When we talk we … [Read more...] about The Incredible Thing We Do During Conversations

The Death of Fear

By

Special programme | 16 Dec 2015  AL JAZEERA ENGLISH Al Jazeera examines how the death of a Tunisian street vendor led to a wave of uprisings across the Arab world. This film was first broadcast on Al Jazeera English in March 2011. On December 17, 2010, Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in the small provincial Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid. According to his … [Read more...] about The Death of Fear

ISIS is the World’s Largest Muslim Country

By

 Edward Delman | 3 January 2016 | The Atlantic  Why are so few Indonesians joining the Islamic State? In recent days, rumblings of ISIS have reached the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. Security forces in Indonesia, which is home to some 200 million Muslims, launched a manhunt for the militant leader Santoso, who had publicly pledged loyalty to the … [Read more...] about ISIS is the World’s Largest Muslim Country

Saudi Arabia’s executions were worthy of Isis – so will David Cameron and the West now stop their grovelling to its oil-rich monarchs?

By

Robert Fisk, Middle East Correspondent | 2 January 2016 | The Independent The executions were certainly an unprecedented Saudi way of welcoming in the New Year – if not quite as publicly spectacular as the firework display in Dubai which went ahead alongside the burning of one of the emirate’s finest hotels Saudi Arabia’s binge of head-choppings – 47 in all, … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia’s executions were worthy of Isis – so will David Cameron and the West now stop their grovelling to its oil-rich monarchs?

Getting to Democracy

By

Abraham F. Lowenthal and Sergio Bitar | January/February 2016 Issue | FOREIGN AFFAIRS Lessons From Successful Transitions Almost five years ago, mass protests swept the Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak from power. Most local and foreign observers believed that Egypt was on the path to a democratic future; some even proclaimed that democracy had arrived. But the … [Read more...] about Getting to Democracy