Qatar
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Palestinian territories
From self-determination to dictatorship: With a rod of iron
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority has long ceased to pursue the national aspirations of its population and established a security apparatus designed to secure the status quo. Meanwhile in Gaza, the de facto Hamas regime is planning to hand over control to its military wing. Commentary by Abdalhadi Alijla
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Soft power and football
Qatar vs. UAE: The not-so-beautiful game
In the race to buy influence, garner soft power and win over hearts and minds, those involved in the three-month old Gulf crisis are hell-bent on raising the stakes. Commentary by James M. Dorsey
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Turkey and the Gulf states
Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Sticking his neck out for Qatar
Ankara′s unilateral siding with the Emirate of Qatar in the Gulf crisis is giving rise to fears that the Turkish President is gambling away his role as a credible mediator in this key region, writes Aziz Bouabe
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Libya
The Gulf States′ proxy war: Baiting at a distance
Of the civil wars ravaging the Arab world, the one Westerners hear least about may yet prove the most dangerous: Libya. Commentary by Joseph Hammond and Suhaib Kebhaj
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The future of the Middle East
How about a Marshall Plan?
If we are ever to break the modern Middle East′s cycle of crises, we must not lose sight of the future. Across the Arab world four trends are already brewing a new set of problems for the coming decade. By Tarek Osman
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Saudi ultimatum for Qatar
Turning up the heat?
The list of thirteen demands given to Qatar on Friday by Saudi Arabia and the UAE does not represent a serious attempt to settle the conflict. Even so, a split in the Gulf Cooperation Council seems unlikely. By Anna Sunik
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Qatar diplomatic crisis
Playing the waiting game
Following the Arab Spring revolts of 2011, Qatar, which carved out a niche for itself as a regional arbiter of conflicts years ago, embraced an interventionist foreign policy that has favoured Islamists – a move that has irked Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Commentary by Barak Barfi
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Qatar′s political isolation
The latest scapegoat
Against a background of long-simmering conflicts regarding Iran and political Islam, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies have abruptly severed relations with Qatar. Thanks to the USA′s new stance in the Gulf region, both nations now feel free to drastically step up pressure on Qatar. By Matthias Sailer
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Interview with Syrian dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh
The West's lamentable myopia
Syrian intellectual Yassin al-Haj Saleh was a revolutionary from the very first. He remains harshly critical of all those political observers and experts in the West who claim that there is no alternative to Assad and that shoring up the regime would be the lesser of two evils. Interview by Emran Feroz
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Re-assessing Western involvement in the Middle East
Far from Utopian
A reconfiguration of relations between the West and the Arab world is in the offing. Utopia it will not be, but it may result in a more harmonious and balanced political situation, writes BBC radio journalist and Middle East expert Neville Teller
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World Cup 2022 and Qatari reforms
So much hot air
In a world where human rights are increasingly being put on the backburner, fears are growing among rights and trade union activists that Qatari promises of labour reform and greater liberalism are just that – mere promises. By James M. Dorsey
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Oil and development in the Middle East
A two-edged sword
When poor countries started producing oil, they thought that was the key to economic growth and prosperity. Since then, the impact of resource wealth on producing countries has been the subject of endless debate. By Nassir Djafari