Osman Mirghani

2 weeks ago | english.aawsat.com | Mamdouh al-Muhainy |Amir Taheri |Hanna Saleh |Osman Mirghani

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has a knack for politics. He owes his political instincts to his layered character, his remarkable personal journey that took him from the leader of the al-Nusra Front to President of Syria in a few years, and a keen reader of the lessons of history. Sharaa has not succumbed to popular pressure as previous leaders had, most notably President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The latter paid a heavy price for going along with the masses.

2 weeks ago | english.aawsat.com | Amir Taheri |Hanna Saleh |Osman Mirghani |Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran

While President Donald Trump prepares for G-7 and NATO summits later this month political circles and media in Europe are busy trying to cut him down to size before the two events. “Trump will come empty-handed,” says one commentator. “None of the things he announced with fanfare has been achieved.”Other commentators use such phrases as “deflated balloon” and “bogged down in the mess he created.”At first sight it looks certain that he has not scored big on any of the dramatic goals he announced.

2 weeks ago | english.aawsat.com | Hanna Saleh |Osman Mirghani |Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran |Ross Douthat

In a normal country, political life is structured around a constitution that outlines its system of governance. Recent developments, however, have shown that Lebanon has not yet reached this stage. Disappointment has prevailed once again after the inauguration of President Joseph Aoun raised citizens’ expectations.

2 weeks ago | english.aawsat.com | Osman Mirghani |Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran |Ross Douthat |Eyad Abu Shakra

A brutal civil war continues to wreak havoc in Sudan, and foreign actors are clearly fueling the conflict. Most recently, we saw the campaign to weaken the Sudanese army at the border triangle between Sudan, Libya, and Egypt. Some are now openly hoping for its defeat and others, behind the veil of calls for “restructuring” it, are seeking to break the army apart.

2 weeks ago | english.aawsat.com | Nassif Hitti |Hazem Saghieh |Amir Taheri |Osman Mirghani

In the lead-up to the UN conference on a two-state solution — scheduled for June 17–20 and co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France — efforts to ensure its success have been intensifying. Ministerial meetings took place in Paris and Brussels late last month, alongside intensified efforts at the UN, with working groups set up and tasked with developing ideas and proposals that address all aspects of the conflict.