Egypt Cuts Spending on National Newspapers
On 27 January 2020, tthe Egyptian government decided to reduce spending on national press outlets as part of measures to reduce debt estimated at billions of Egyptian pounds.
The US-China Struggle in the Middle East
China was one of the signatories of the nuclear deal with Iran. When US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal in May 2018, the first visit made…
Morsi Buried without Funeral Ceremony
Egypt’s former president Mohamed Morsi was buried without a funeral. The son of former Egyptian president Morsi confirmed on his Facebook page on 18 June 2019 that “his father was…
Egypt’s Former President Morsi Dies in Court
Ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi dies at the age of 67 in Cairo after collapsing in court on Monday. Several media sources reported that Morsi collapsed in a glass cage…
Egypt’s Economic Pain Is All in a Good Cause
Before the 2011 revolution that deposed Hosni Mubarak, Egypt had undergone a few reform periods between 1991 and 2007 in an effort to reduce external debt and expand the role…
Al-Sisi Steps Up Repression to Cover Policy Failure
Egyptian general-turned-president Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi would likely be the first to admit that an iron fist is no guarantee for retaining power. Not because of the fate of the country’s…
Blasphemy and Terrorism: Catchall Phrases to Repress Dissent
Blasphemy has joined terrorism as a catchall phrase to intimidate, incarcerate and kill critics and political opponents as well as stifle unfettered debate and settle scores.
ISIS in the Heart of Egypt Isn’t Sisi’s Biggest Problem
British author Robert Fisk has criticized Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s declaration of a state of emergency even without returning to his government, as his predecessors Sadat and Mubarak have…
Egyptian-Israeli Relations – Signs of a Thaw?
Over the years neither the Egyptian public, nor its various leaders, have exhibited much enthusiasm for a genuine friendship with Israel – this despite the peace treaty, signed way back…
Destabilising the Middle East: A Historical Perspective of US Foreign Policy
I wrote the first version of this essay in June 2014. Since then, I had over 4,000 hits on it in my blog. I decided to update it partly because…