Research & Publications: Libya

Salafi-jihadis have maintained an active presence in Libya due to a mix of push and pull factors. This policy paper assesses the threat posed by radical Islamist movements in Libya.

In this week's briefing, MEI experts Gerald Feierstein, Charles Schmitz, Jonathan M. Winer, and Yousef Munayyer provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah's upcoming visit to Washington, recent clashes in Yemen, the French Foreign Minister's trip to Libya, and the U.N. Human Rights Council's discussion on Israel/Palestine.

In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Paul Salem, Gonul Tol, Alex Vatanka, and Jonathan M. Winer provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including Saudi Arabia's diplomatic engagements in the region, Turkey's consideration of military operations in northern Syria, Iranian President Rouhani's centrist cabinet nominations, and Libyan leaders' decision between greater cooperation or renewed confrontation.

Libyan leaders met with French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron to announce progress on a deal to put Libya back together and hold new elections. As has recurrently been the case, the deal was immediately followed by counter-moves undertaken by spoilers.

This essay looks at five North African states, arguing that the armed forces — for a variety of often case-specific reasons — are actually not as politically powerful and thus influential in foreign policy-making as one might expect. It first discusses the political strength of the military establishments of five North African states — Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt — and then investigates the difference, if any, that the recent Arab upheavals have made in their involvement in foreign policy-making.

Whenever power is contested in a country—any country—the political fight over who will ascend to the helm provides opportunities for foreign powers to intervene, and in some cases, influence the outcome of the political process.

In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Yousef Munayyer, Alex Vatanka, Jonathan M. Winer, and Marvin G. Weinbaum provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including President Trump's trip to Israel and the prospects for a peace process, the reelection of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russia's planned naval drill off the coast of Libya this week, and the Afghan Taliban's decision to reject peace talks.

In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Charles Lister, Alex Vatanka, and Jonathan M. Winer provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Tillerson, Iranian President Rouhani's battle for re-election, and the efforts to strike a deal for the future of the Libyan state.