THE KING IS DEAD-LONG LIVE THE KING – SAUDI ARABIA: A LEGACY OF FOREIGN POLICY BLUNDERS

Canberra, 11 February 2015 Much is being written about the ‘peaceful’ transition of power and the rapid administrative overhaul that has been undertaken by King Salman in the fortnight or so that he has been in power in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi newspapers are trumpeting the changes as heralding a new era within the kingdom. […]

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EGYPT – THE GENERALS ARE BACK!

Canberra, 1 February 2014 An al-Qaeda inspired group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, or Partisans of Jerusalem, has claimed responsibility for the assassination of General Mohamed Saed, an aide of the Egyptian Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim. This group has carried a number of deadly attacks in Egypt since the military overthrew the Islamist President Mohamed Morsi last […]

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IS EGYPT GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE?

Canberra, 4 August 2013 Two-And-a-half years after ‘people power’ removed President Hosni Mubarak from power, rejecting a security-dominated autocracy that had ruled Egypt ever since the Nasser-led coup that ended the rule of King Farouk in 1952, Egypt is back to the starting point. In the past two years Egypt has essentially undergone three revolutions—the […]

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PAKISTAN’S YEAR OF RECKONING

Canberra, 22 February 2013 Pakistan has arrived at its most critical juncture in its volatile history since independence in 1947. The year 2013 will be decisive for its future—national elections are due to be held in April-May; the President Asif Zardari completes his tenure in September; the Chief of Army, General Ashfaq Kayani’s term concludes […]

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THE ARAB SPRING – WHAT OF IT?

Canberra, 3 August 2012   In January 2011, the people of Tunisia overthrew the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who had ruled for 23 years with little care for the development of the state and even lesser care for the betterment of the population. By all accounts this was long overdue. The Tunisian […]

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