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451. EU and U.S. Free Trade Agreements in the Middle East and North Africa

Author:
Riad al Khouri
Publication Date:
06-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Abstract:
The political situation in much of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is subject to persistent tension due to the Arab–Israeli conflict, the war in Iraq and its spillovers to other countries, and sporadic upsurges of terrorism. In addition, some countries face serious domestic political tensions, a lack of political openness, and the increasing popularity of Islamist opposition groups. Economically, fast demographic and labor force expansion has led to high un- employment and slow growth in per capita incomes. Unsustainable management of the environment and natural resources further threatens prospects for long-term economic growth. In this context, increased economic cooperation between the MENA countries, on the one hand, and the United States and the European Union (EU), on the other, aims not only at promoting growth and development but also at fostering more stable political environments.
Topic:
International Trade and Finance and Markets
Political Geography:
United States, Europe, Middle East, Israel, Arabia, and North Africa

452. North Africa: New Challenges, Old Regimes, and Regional Security

Author:
Claire Spencer
Publication Date:
11-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
International Peace Institute
Abstract:
North Africa is often loosely defined, but for the purposes of this paper, it encompasses the states of the Arab Maghreb Union (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia) together with Egypt.1 With the exception of Mauritania, this group of states lies on the northern littoral of the African continent, between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Sahara to the south. This contiguity, however, has not automatically made for a cohesive region; differences between political and economic trajectories have overridden the social solidarities that still unite the peoples of North Africa.
Topic:
Security, Islam, and Peace Studies
Political Geography:
Africa, Libya, Algeria, North Africa, and Egypt

453. Desert Power: The Economics of Solar Thermal Electricity for Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East

Author:
David Wheeler and Kevin Ummel
Publication Date:
12-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Global Development
Abstract:
A climate crisis is inevitable unless developing countries limit carbon emissions from the power sector in the near future. This will happen only if the costs of lowcarbon power production become competitive with fossil fuel power. We focus on a leading candidate for investment: solar thermal or concentrating solar power (CSP), a commercially available technology that uses direct sunlight and mirrors to boil water and drive conventional steam turbines. Solar thermal power production in North Africa and the Middle East could provide enough power to Europe to meet the needs of 35 million people by 2020.
Topic:
Climate Change, Energy Policy, and Science and Technology
Political Geography:
Europe, Middle East, and North Africa

454. This section lists articles and reviews of books relevant to Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Entries are classified under the following headings: Reference and General; History (to 1948) and Geography; Palestinian Politics and Society; Jerusalem; Israeli Politics, Society, and Zionism; Arab and Middle Eastern Politics; International Relations; Law; Military; Economy, Society, and Education; Literature and Art; Book Reviews; and Reports Received.

Publication Date:
06-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Palestine Studies
Institution:
Institute for Palestine Studies
Abstract:
Reference and General Davidson, Lawrence. "The Attack on Middle East Studies: A Historical Perspective." MEP 15, no. 1 (Spr. 08): 149-60. Dueck, Jennifer M. "The Middle East and North Africa in the Imperial and Post-Colonial Historiography of France." Historical Journal 50, no. 4 (07): 935-50. Firestone, Reuven. "Contextualizing Anti-Semitism in Islam: Chosenness, Choosing, and the Emergence of New Religion." International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies 4, no. 3 (Sep. 07): 235-54. Kahtani, Hani M. "Islamic Architecture: A Reflection of the Political and Social Structure of the State in Islam" [in Arabic]. MA 30, no. 348 (Feb. 08): 27-40. Kirmanj, Sherko. "The Relationship between Traditional and Contemporary Islamist Political Thought." MERIA 12, no. 1 (Mar. 08): 69-82. Kurzman, Charles. "Cross-Regional Approaches to Middle East Studies: Constructing and Deconstructing a Region." MESA 41, no. 1 (Sum. 07): 24-29. Mahmud, Ahmad I. "The Concept of Terrorism: Ambiguous Terms and Suspicious Functions" [in Arabic]. ShA, no. 133 (Spr. 08): 48-64. Yusef, Ayman T. "The Western Stereotype of Islam: Between Extremism and Phobia" [in Arabic]. MAUS, no. 18 (Spr. 08): 117-46. Zurndorfer, Harriet T. "The Orientation of JESHO's Orient and the Problem of 'Orientalism': Some Reflections on the Occasion of JESHO's Fiftieth Anniversary." Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 51, no. 1 (08): 2-30. History (tHROUGH 1948) and Geography Adorno, Massimo L. "De Clementi's Report: The Nineteenth Zionist Congress, Lucerne, 1935, as Viewed by an Italian Diplomat." IsA 14, no. 2 (Apr. 08): 288-300. Bernstein, Deborah, and Badi Hasisi. "'Buy and Promote the National Cause': Consumption, Class Formation and Nationalism in Mandate Palestinian Society." Nations and Nationalism 14, no. 1 (Jan. 08): 127-50. Coleman, Simon. "A Tale of Two Centres? Representing Palestine to the British in the Nineteenth Century." Mobilities 2, no. 3 (Nov. 07): 331-45. Dueck, Jennifer M. "A Muslim Jamboree: Scouting and Youth Culture in Lebanon under the French Mandate." French Historical Studies 30, no. 3 (Sum. 07): 485-517. Gal, Allon, and Isaac Lubelsky. "The Disintegration of the British Empire and the Nationalist Cases of India and Israel: A Comparative Analysis." IsA 14, no. 2 (Apr. 08): 165-83. Hametz, Maura E. "Zionism, Emigration, and Antisemitism in Trieste: Central Europe's 'Gateway to Zion,' 1896-1943." Jewish Social Studies 13, no. 3 (Spr./Sum. 07): 103-34. Hanania, Mary. "Jurji Habib Hanania: History of the Earliest Press in Palestine, 1908-1914." JQ, no. 32 (Fall 07): 51-69. Harel, Yaron. "Jewish Nationalism, Zionism, Journalism and Socialism under Faisal's Rule in Damascus" [in Hebrew]. Pe'amim, nos. 111-12 (Spr.-Sum. 07): 103-44. Kabalo, Paula. "Leadership behind the Curtains: The Case of Israeli Women in 1948." Modern Judaism 28, no. 1 (Feb. 08): 14-40. Keren, Shlomit, and Michael Keren. "Chaplain with a Star of David: Reverend Leib Isaac Falk and the Jewish Legions." IsA 14, no. 2 (Apr. 08): 184-201. Mrowat, Ahmad. "Karimeh Abbud: Early Woman Photographer (1896-1955)." JQ, no. 31 (Sum. 07): 72-78. Newsinger, John. "Liberal Imperialism and the Occupation of Egypt in 1882." Race and Class 49, no. 3 (Jan. 08): 54-75. Renton, James. "Changing Languages of Empire and the Orient: Britain and the Invention of the Middle East, 1917-1918." Historical Journal 50, no. 3 (07): 645-68. Wahrman, Jacob, Ron Shafir, and Dror Wahrman. "The Vanishing Station at Sejed: On the History and Significance of the Jaffa-Jerusalem Railroad" [in Hebrew]. Cathedra, no. 125 (Sep. 07): 31-52. Williams, Manuela. "Mussolini's Secret War in the Mediterranean and the Middle East: Italian Intelligence and the British Response." Intelligence and National Security 22, no. 6 (Dec. 07): 881-904. Palestinian Politics and Society Ahmed, Hisham H. "Hamas under the Spotlight." Against the Current 22, no. 6 (08): 26-30. Allam, Do`aa H. "Palestinian Crossings: A Complex Problem" [in Arabic]. SD 44, no. 172 (Apr. 08): 140-45. El-Astal, Sofián. "The Values of the Palestinian University Youth." Revista de Psicología Social 23, no. 1 (Jan. 08): 53-61. Azaar, Muhammad K. "Ambiguous Arab Concepts and Prospects: The Case of Palestine" [in Arabic]. ShA, no. 133 (Spr. 08): 114-26. Baqer, Ibrahim. "Does the Left Resist Compromise When the Homeland is Occupied?" [in Arabic]. MA 30, no. 349 (Mar. 08): 73-80. Barghouti, Omar. "Palestine: débâcle du mouvement national et conditions d'une renaissance." Alternatives Sud 14, no. 4 (07): 155-59. Biger, Gideon. "The Boundaries of Israel-Palestine Past, Present, and Future: A Critical Geographical View." IsS 13, no. 1 (Spr. 07): 68-93. Challand, Benoît. "A Nahda of Charitable Organizations? Health Service Provision and the Politics of Aid in Palestine." IJMES 40, no. 2 (May 08): 227-47. Crispino, Franck. "Importance de la preuve scientifique dans la création d'un Etat: l'exemple palestinien." Revue Internationale de Criminologie et de Police Technique et Scientifique 60, no. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 07): 455-60. Gross, Zehavit. "Relocation in Rural and Urban Settings: A Case Study of Uprooted Schools from the Gaza Strip." Education and Urban Society 40, no. 2 (08): 269-95. Hamdan, Lubna K., M. Zarei, R.R. Chianelli, et al. "Sustainable Water and Energy in Gaza Strip." Renewable Energy 33, no. 6 (08): 1137-46. Hart, Jason. "Dislocated Masculinity: Adolescence and the Palestinian Nation-in-Exile." Journal of Refugee Studies 21, no. 1 (Mar. 08): 64-81. Hasian, Marouf. "Tangled Rhetorical Histories and Competing Political Memories: Remembering Palestine." Review of Communication 7, no. 4 (Oct. 07): 388-95. Hassan-Bitar, Sahar, and Laura Wick. "Evoking the Guardian Angel: Childbirth Care in a Palestinian Hospital." Reproductive Health Matters 15, no. 30 (Nov. 07): 103-13. al-Houdalieh, Salah H. "The Destruction of Palestinian Archaeological Heritage: Saffa Village as a Model." Near Eastern Archaeology 69, no. 2 (Jun. 07): 102-12. Kayyali, Majed. "The Gaza Crisis: What Next for Fatah and Hamas?" [in Arabic]. SD 44, no. 172 (Apr. 08): 136-39. Legrain, Jean-François. "La dynamique de la 'guerre civile' en Palestine." Critique Internationale, no. 36 (Jul.-Sep. 07): 147-65. Lewis, Frank D. "Compensation and the Abandoned Property of the 1948 Palestinian Refugees: Assessment and Implications." Explorations in Economic History 44, no. 4 (Oct. 07): 520-37. Lybarger, Loren D. "For Church or Nation? Islamism, Secular-Nationalism, and the Transformation of Christian Identities in Palestine." Journal of the American Academy of Religion 75, no. 4 (Dec. 07): 777-813. Mavroudi, Elizabeth. "Palestinians and Pragmatic Citizenship: Negotiating Relationships between Citizenship and National Identity in Diaspora." Geoforum 38, no. 1 (Jan. 08): 307-18. Oliver, Kelly. "Palestinian Women Suicide Bombers: 'Débâcles amoureuses'?" Nottingham French Studies 46, no. 3 (Aut. 07): 17-31. Rabinowitz, Dan, and Daniel Monterescu. "Reconfiguring the 'Mixed Town': Urban Transformations of Ethnonational Relations in Palestine and Israel." IJMES 40, no. 2 (May 08): 195-226. Robinson, Glenn E. "The Fragmentation of Palestine." Current History 107, no. 704 (Dec. 07): 421-26. Sa'ar, Amalia. "Contradictory Location: Assessing the Position of Palestinian Women Citizens of Israel." JMEWS 3, no. 3 (Fall 07): 45-74. ---. "Maneuvering between State, Nation, and Tradition: Palestinian Women in Israel Make Creative Applications of Polygyny." Journal of Anthropological Research 63, no. 4 (Win. 07): 515-36. al-Sa`ed, Rashed. "Sustainability of Natural and Mechanized Aerated Ponds for Domestic and Municipal Wastewater Treatment in Palestine." Water International 32, no. 2 (Jun. 07): 310-24. Sakkar, Michel. "Palestine: le Hamas après le coup d'état de Gaza." CM, no. 64 (Win. 07): 147-54. Samuel, S., and C. Rajiv. "The Hamas Takeover and its Aftermath." Strategic Analysis 31, no. 5 (Sep. 07): 843-51. Sayigh, Rosemary. "Product and Producer of Palestinian History: Stereotypes of 'Self' in Camp Women's Life Stories." JMEWS 3, no. 2 (Win. 07): 86-105.Signoles, Aude. "Le Hamas, des islamistes au pouvoir." Maghreb-Machrek, no. 194 (08): 39-54.
Topic:
Ethnic Conflict
Political Geography:
Middle East, Palestine, and North Africa

455. Islamists in Politics: The Dynamics of Participation

Author:
Marina Ottaway and Amr Hamzawy
Publication Date:
11-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Abstract:
Islamist parties and movements in Arab countries that have strategically chosen to participate in the legal political process, acknowledging the legitimacy of the existing constitutional framework, have gained great political importance. Their participation raises two major questions: are they truly committed to democracy? And will participation have a positive, moderating influence on their positions, pushing them to focus on public policy platforms rather than ideological debates?
Topic:
Democratization, Islam, and Politics
Political Geography:
Middle East, Arabia, and North Africa

456. Is the Maghreb the 'Next Afghanistan'?: Mapping the Radicalization of the Algerian Salafi Jihadist Movement

Author:
Noureddine Jebnoun
Publication Date:
02-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Abstract:
On March 4, 2004, General Charles Wald, then-deputy commander for the European Command (EUCOM), observed that “there has, without a doubt, been some al-Qaida presence in portions of North Africa. But it isn't like Afghanistan or other places, and what's more, Pakistan, for that matter.” On March 10, 2005, Rep. Edward R. Royce (R-California), chairman of the House Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation, mentioned in a prepared statement that the “train and equip efforts [undertaken by the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Partnership (TSCTP)] are aimed at eliminating the 'next Afghanistan': another terrorist sanctuary” across the Sahara-Sahel region, which allegedly harbors Islamic militants and bin Laden sympathizers. More recently, Rep. Jane Harman (D-California) argued that “North Africa could be the next front in [the] war on terror.”
Topic:
Political Violence, Terrorism, and Counterinsurgency
Political Geography:
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Arabia, Algeria, and North Africa

457. PolicyWatch #1412: A Forum without a Future?

Author:
J. Scott Carpenter
Publication Date:
10-2008
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:
U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has decided to skip the Forum for the Future in Abu Dhabi this weekend, a move that will deepen concerns surrounding the Bush administration's Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) Initiative. Although Deputy Secretary John Negroponte will attend the forum -- an annual meeting of G-8 and Middle East foreign ministers -- Rice's absence will signal waning American interest in the region's political and economic reform, and will probably cause other ministers to stay home. Additionally, her absence may fuel ongoing speculation that the initiative will not survive this administration. Rather than letting the initiative fall into disuse, the next president needs to reinvent and reinvigorate this multilateral effort to accelerate badly needed reform. This endeavor will be especially important for countries trying to survive the revisionist challenge from Iran and its proxies.
Political Geography:
United States, America, Middle East, and North Africa

458. Political Islam and Europe – Views from the Arab Mediterranean states and Turkey

Author:
Robert Springborg
Publication Date:
04-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for European Policy Studies
Abstract:
The social, political and economic power of moderate Middle East and North African Islamist movements has been growing for a generation or so. The question of how to deal with Islamists who reject violence, embrace democracy and outperform their competitors at the polls has therefore become a central concern not only of incumbent Middle East elites, but also of interested foreign actors such as the EU and US. Robert Springborg sees the need for the EU to clarify its policies towards the MENA region and Muslim democrats within it. The present lack of EU policies on engaging with moderate Islamists leads them to be at best curious about the EU and at worse to be suspicious of it. Engagement might itself help to contribute to policy formation in this important area, and serve as a vehicle to disseminate information about relevant EU policies.
Topic:
Politics and Religion
Political Geography:
United States, Europe, Turkey, Middle East, Arabia, Arab Countries, and North Africa

459. Co-chairmen's report of brainstorming "Implementing the un general assembly's counter-terrorism strategy: addressing youth radicalisation in the Mediterranean region. Lessons learned, best practices and recommendations"

Publication Date:
07-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Istituto Affari Internazionali
Abstract:
The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and the Center for Global Counter Terrorism Co-operation (Center) convened a brainstorming on 11 - 12 July in Rome on “Implementing the UN General Assembly's Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Addressing Youth Radicalisation in the Mediterranean Region. Lessons Learned, Best Practices and Recommendations.” The event was organised in co-operation with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centro Studi sul Federalismo (Turin), with the support of the Compagnia di San Paolo. The participants included experts from the UN and other multilateral bodies, officials from the Italian and German governments, and academic and other non-government experts from the United States, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The meeting also included a roundtable of representatives of the “Consulta Giovanile per il Pluralismo Religioso e Culturale” (Youth Consultative Council), a youth advisory board recently established by the Italian Ministries of Youth and Sport and Interior to enhance the role of youth in promoting dialogue and tolerance among different cultures and religions. The Rt. Hon. Giovanna Melandri, the Italian Minister for Youth Policies and Sport addressed the brainstorming.
Topic:
Civil Society, Islam, Science and Technology, Terrorism, and United Nations
Political Geography:
United States, Europe, Middle East, and North Africa

460. Nothing to Laugh At

Author:
Davvid Warszawski
Publication Date:
01-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Foreign Policy In Focus
Abstract:
On January 15, a Moroccan court gave editor Driss Ksikes and journalist Sanaa al-Adzi three-year suspended sentences for publishing jokes related to Islam. Here, Dawid Warszawski of Poland's leading daily Gazeta Wyborcza comments on the case.
Topic:
International Relations, Islam, Religion, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
North Africa