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Papers

New (and old) Patterns of Jihadism: al-Qa’ida, the Islamic State and Beyond

13 years after the tragic events of 9/11, al-Qa‘ida can count on as many regional nodes as never before as well as on a still significant influence over the wider jihadi galaxy, thus showing the strenght of its message and of its modus operandi. However, the past few years were marked by the surge of a number of factions that, while sharing several features with the group founded by Osama bin Laden, developed new and often […]

Papers

The Uncertain Path of the ‘New Turkey’

After a turbulent year both on the domestic  and regional levels and on the eve of crucial  parliamentary elections, it seems that Turkey’s  ‘success story’ has waned. The Justice and  Development Party (AKP), led by Recep Tayyip  Erdogan, has been the main actor of this success  story. The ‘AKP era’ has witnessed profound  transformations in Turkey’s politics, society and  economy. Today Turkey […]

Papers

Twitter and Jihad. The Communication Strategy of ISIS

Social media, videos, online magazines, local radios, pamphlets and posters: ISIS has proven capable of adapting its communication strategy to strengthen its power locally, recruit new fighters or influence public opinion in Western and Arab nations. Not just images of war and summary executions but also constant propaganda to show that it controls its territory […]

Papers

The Return of Egypt. Internal Challenges and Regional Game

Egypt has reappeared again as a leading actor in the Middle East. After the fall of Mubarak, the rise to power of the Muslim Brotherhood and its ouster, the country has chosen its new ‘strongman’. Following the elections of al-Sisi, Egypt is back to pursuing a pro-active policy not only internally, but also in the neighbourhood. The restoration of the strategic axis with Saudi Arabia and […]

Papers

The Rising Gulf. The New Ambitions of the Gulf Monarchies

Over the last years the Gulf monarchies have emerged as assertive players both in the MENA region and in the global context. Relying on their huge energy reserves and financial assets, these states acquired increasing international leverage. On the one hand, the oil monarchies moved eastwards exploiting the opportunity provided by emerging Asian markets to […]

Papers

Iran after the Deal: the Road Ahead

The agreement reached in Vienna on 14 July, 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (United States, Russia, China, France, United Kingdom, Germany) has been greeted as an historical achievement. While offering a long-lasting negotiated solution to one of the biggest crises of the last decade, the deal represents an opportunity for a deep recalibration of […]

Papers

The Mediterranean Migration Crisis

The constant increase in the numbers of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean is forcing EU governments to devise a response strategy to it. The paper shows the failures of EU policy in preventing and discouraging migrants to make the journey and describes the critical humanitarian conditions that force people to flee from Afghanistan, Syria, […]

Papers

Integrating EU Defense and Migration Policies in the Mediterranean

The migration subject had been treated poorly and inadequately by the European Union until recent years, when its proportions became unmanageable. The paper explores the need to create a Mediterranean migration alliance in order to coordinate efforts between the UE and the MENA region. The paper identifies the gap in the EU’s current approach to […]

Papers

Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan

Facing the sharp increase in migration in the Mediterranean area, IOM describes the major factors that lead migrants to undertake perilous travel to reach the EU zone and defines a set of goals and responses to address the problem. The objective is to intervene on the migration issue both in origin and destination countries, protecting […]

Papers

Returning Foreign Fighters: Criminalization or Reintegration?

The return of foreign fighters from Syria poses a serious threat to security in European nations. Many countries recently introduced new laws to deal with this issue, which include revoking passports, making a criminal offense the dissemination of propaganda on the Internet and prohibiting individuals from engaging in armed operations abroad. According to Charles Lister, […]

Papers

Jimmy Carter: A Five-Nation Plan to End the Syrian Crisis

According to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, a solution for the civil war in Syria can be found only through a diplomatic effort that includes Russia and Iran. The starting point is that Assad has not accepted any diktat from the West and the Gulf states and it is therefore necessary to include Damascus’ allies […]

Papers

Beyond Counterterrorism

According to Daniel Bayman, the Obama administration looks mainly at the Middle East region through the lens of counterterrorism. This leads to a strategy that focuses on the military repression of groups that are perceived as anti-American and could thus potentially conduct terrorist operations on U.S. soil or against American interests in the area. However, […]

Papers

Imagining a New Security Order in the Persian Gulf

The successful conclusion of the Iranian nuclear agreement is an occasion for rethinking the regional order that has characterized the Gulf since the 1980s, based on the heavy presence of the U.S. navy and troops in the area to guarantee energy supplies and secure the GCC allies of Washington. Carnegie proposes to create a regional […]

Papers