Monthly Archives: May 2014

Thinking Aloud: “The Syrian Conflict’s Foreign Fighters,” Part I

Posted on May 31, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

May 31, 2014 by Darius  As the Syrian conflict continues to metastasize beyond its borders, international security concerns are also on the rise.  Yesterday, I saw two panels discuss “The Syrian Conflict’s Foreign Fighters: Concerns at Home and Abroad.”  Today, … Continue reading →

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News You Really Need To See: “Off Camera, Egyptian TV Shaped a New Government”

Posted on May 31, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

“Off Camera, Egyptian TV Shaped a New Government” The Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2014, p.A1 http://online.wsj.com/articles/egyptian-tv-swayed-public-against-morsi-in-favor-of-sisi-1401330765 “The dramatic shift in popular opinion that is expected to lift a former army chief to president of Egypt traces, in part, to … Continue reading →

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Thinking Aloud: The Rise and Fall of Somali Piracy

Posted on May 30, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

May 30, 2014 by Darius  This month’s Atlantic had a great little piece on the economics of Somali piracy.  I found a few of the statistics cited to be pretty remarkable. In 2010, ransom money from piracy contributed an estimated … Continue reading →

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News You Really Need To See: “East Ukraine’s Uneasy Quiet Raises Questions of Who’s Running the Insurgency”

Posted on May 30, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

“East Ukraine’s Uneasy Quiet Raises Questions of Who’s Running the Insurgency” The Associated Press, May 30, 2014 “The scruffy rebels who normally wander about the headquarters of the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic were mostly out of view on Friday, replaced … Continue reading →

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Thinking Aloud: The Forgotten Arab Spring Countries

Posted on May 29, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

May 29, 2014 by Darius  I had a funny conversation today.  I was talking with someone about how Yemen is having problems with its post-dictator transition.  That’s nothing special, but it was amusing to find out several minutes into the … Continue reading →

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News You Really Need To See: “Pakistani Taliban Splits Into Two Major Factions”

Posted on May 29, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

“Pakistani Taliban Splits Into Two Major Factions” The Washington Post, May 29, 2014, p.A12 “The Pakistani Taliban, riven by infighting, splintered into two major groups Wednesday as the leader of its dominant faction announced that it was severing ties with … Continue reading →

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Thinking Aloud: A Tale of Two Elections

Posted on May 28, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

May 28, 2014 by Darius  This week, people of two Middle Eastern countries are going to the polls.  The two elections, one in Egypt, the other in Syria, have much in common: both are neither free nor fair and both … Continue reading →

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News You Really Need To See: “Discontent in the Saudi Royal Family”

Posted on May 28, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

“Discontent in the Saudi Royal Family” The Washington Post, May 27, 2014, p.A6 http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/appointment-of-deputy-heir-to-throne-stirs-controversy-in-saudi-arabia/2014/05/26/1397be64-53cd-4a9c-b3f9-78c904abee92_story.html “When Saudi Arabia’s elderly king took the unusual step of naming a deputy heir, the move initially was welcomed as a sign of continuity in a … Continue reading →

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Thinking Aloud: The Darius Index, Qatar

Posted on May 27, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

May 27, 2014 by Darius  [Two and a half months ago I introduced the Darius Index, which aims to measure the discrepancy between a country’s wealth – as measured by GDP per capita – and what that country does with … Continue reading →

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News You Really Need To See: “Elite U.S. Troops Helping Africans Combat Terror”

Posted on May 27, 2014 by notwhatyoumighthink

“Elite U.S. Troops Helping Africans Combat Terror” The New York Times, May 26, 2014, p.A1 “United States Special Operations troops are forming elite counterterrorism units in four countries in North and West Africa that American officials say are pivotal in … Continue reading →

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