Middle East

Illegal but Legitimate? The Consequences of US Action in Syria
- April 7, 2017
The United States has fired missiles at the Syrian military. This is a dramatic escalation in the horrific Syrian conflict. It is also the most legally doubtful use of military force by a NATO state in recent history.

To be …
By Craig Forcese
International Security, Middle East, USA
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Canada has an Opportunity to be the Voice of Reason on Syria
- January 6, 2017
“‘Does this road lead to Aleppo?’ Your answer can be ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Your opinion doesn’t make it so. Consult a map before you go!” The question in this poem was first posed by the 13th-century Persian poet, Rumi. If …
By Jabeur Fathally
International Security, Middle East
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Syrian Refugees and Canada’s “Defining Moment”: One Year On
- December 7, 2016
By Elke Winter, Benjamin Zyla, Charlotte Murret-Labarthe

University of Ottawa

Origins of the crisis

In March 2011, three months after the Arab Spring began in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, fifteen Syrian schoolchildren were arrested and tortured for writing on a …
By CIPS
Canadian Foreign Policy, Middle East, Refugees
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Trudeau Government, Canadian Foreign Policy, and Public Opinion: A One-Year Assessment
- October 12, 2016
With an approval rate oscillating at around 70% and voting intentions at around 50%, it is fair to say that the Trudeau government has enjoyed wide public support during its first year in power. However, overall positive impressions do not …
By Mathieu Landriault
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Security, Middle East
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Afghanistan’s Schools Under Real Threat – Donor Nations Won’t Admit It
- October 10, 2016
Classes began at the highly secured and protected campus of the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul on August 24, even as tensions continued over the earlier abduction of two of the university’s professors.

Suddenly there was the sound …
By Nipa Banerjee
International Security, Middle East
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The Peres Legacy: Making Peace to Defend his Vision of Israel
- October 2, 2016
In all of the millions of words being written and spoken about Shimon Peres, many focus on his legacy as a peacemaker. This is entirely proper; Peres was one of the main architects and drivers of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, …
By Peter Jones
Middle East
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Britain’s Chilcot Report: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Foreign Policy Formulation
- August 17, 2016
On 6 July 2016, the fourth and most exhaustive British inquiry on the Iraq war — after the Intelligence and Security Committee Report (2003), the Lord Butler Review (2004), and the Lord Hutton Inquiry (2004) — this one chaired …
By Daniel Livermore
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Security, Middle East
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Future Development Challenges? Afghanistan Remains at the Top of the List
- July 7, 2016
While the joint work of the Afghan government and the international community brought a few benefits for the country, many have not been sustainable. Serious challenges remain unaddressed and require priority attention from analysts, policy-makers, and bureaucrats. Highlighting dubious, anecdotal …
By Nipa Banerjee
International Development, International Security, Middle East
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Why Canada Will Go Ahead with the LAV Deal
- July 4, 2016
The proposed $15-billion sale of light armoured vehicles (LAVs) to Saudi Arabia has brought significant attention — mostly negative — to Canada’s partnership with the Arabian Peninsula kingdom.

Much of this criticism is valid — the human-rights situation in Saudi …
By Thomas Juneau
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Security, Middle East
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No, Yemen’s Houthis actually aren’t Iranian puppets
- June 1, 2016
For years, mounting instability had many predicting the collapse of Yemen. These forecasts became reality in 2014 when years of accumulated tension pushed the country into civil war. On one side is an alliance of the Houthis, a …
By Thomas Juneau
Middle East
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How uOttawa is Taking Action to Support Syrian Refugees in Canada and Around the World
- May 20, 2016
The devastating civil war in Syria has resulted in the largest forced migration of people since the Second World War. To date, 13.5 million Syrians are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including 4.8 million registered refugees and another 6.6 …
By Allan Rock
Middle East, Refugees
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What Next for Libya?
- May 19, 2016
In a show of unity that is rare these days, on May 16, UN Security Council members agreed to help Libya’s fledgling Government of National Accord (GNA) to build up its firepower against the so-called Islamic State (IS) and other …
By Alexandra Gheciu
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Security, Middle East
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