Africa

Africa: A New Front in the US-Iranian Cold War?

by Jason B. Nicholson

September 10, 2012

It is no secret the US and Iran are engaged in a regional Cold War throughout the greater Middle East from Herat to Beirut. Iran has become increasingly geo-politically isolated in the Persian Gulf, Levant, and Central Asia. Suppression of largely Shi’a protesters in the Gulf kingdoms, surging democratic protests in the Levant, and North African revolutions are quickly changing the geo-political status quo. As the rhetoric and political action seemingly continue to build over on-going Iranian nuclear ambitions it is worth looking at proxy theaters that may see secondary or diversionary action related to the core issues of the Iranian problem for Western, American, and Gulf based policy makers.

Somalia to pick president, set up first stable govt. in 21 years

Faith Karimi, CNN News,

9 September 2012

CNN) -- Somali lawmakers are scheduled to choose the next president Monday, moving the nation a step closer to its first stable central government since the 1991 ouster of a dictator.

Libyan Islamists and the security forces: Iraq 2.0?

by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

September 5, 2012

The Libyan elections in July that saw a poor performance on the part of Islamist parties were justifiably hailed by many commentators, who saw Libya as a notable exception to the theory of a universal regional ascendancy for the Islamists. I myself had wrongly predicted that the Islamists would gain the lion's share of the votes.