Ten years have passed since American and British troops invaded Iraq on 19 March 2003. Much has happened during that decade, not least the downfall of an infamous dictator and the establishment of a democratic political system. A question that seems to be on everyone's mind these days is whether...

Dr Muhammad Mursi's presidential election win on Sunday marks a watershed moment in the modern history of the Arab world. The Muslim Brotherhood, the oldest Islamist organisation in the region which has been banned for most of its existence, now holds the presidency in the most populous and powerful of...

As we approach Egypt's anticipated presidential elections, which are scheduled to take place on 23 and 24 May, an assessment of the 'revolution' that overthrew Hosni Mubarak more than a year ago is in order. The erstwhile optimism expressed by many Western liberal commentators over the democratic nature of the...

The recent peace plan to solve the situation in Syria has received the backing of the UN Security Council. This undoubtedly puts additional pressure on president Bashar al-Assad, who had earlier relied on Russia and China to veto any UN resolutions deemed too critical of the Syrian regime....

The revolution that overthrew and killed Mu'ammar al-Gaddafi, the 'Brother-Leader' who ruled Libya for 42 years, celebrated its anniversary a short while ago. Throughout the military conflict that rocked the oil-rich country western media presented an image of a unified and purposeful Libyan opposition. Yet, less than five months since...

Hosni Mubarak's toppling a year ago amidst massive popular protests raised hope of a democratic transition and a new future for Egypt. Western media and political leaders quickly jumped on the bandwagon of the so-called Arab Spring. But hopes of a rapid transition were soon quashed as it became clear...

There was no Arab Spring - nor is there necessarily an Islamist Winter. Ongoing events in Syria, and recently across the Middle East, are the last in a long historic process of protest, opposition and revolution. But the outcome will not be democracy as we know it in the West.