Presented by SAIS MENA and SAIS GSCM Clubs An Event Synopsis for the SAIS Observer 5 November 2021 On March 15, 2011, news outlets reported the first signs of widespread unrest in the Syrian Arab Republic. What started as simply another corner of the regional upheaval characteristic of the Arab Spring, however, quickly escalated into... Continue Reading →
The Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Explained
By Adam DuBard In the early morning of September 27, 2020, Azerbaijanian military forces launched a surprise attack into the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a disputed territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Although tensions flared in July, the suddenness and intensity of this war have taken many around the world by surprise. In less than a month of... Continue Reading →
Amid a Historic Peace Deal, a People Forgotten
By Adam DuBard On September 15th, President Trump and the White House hosted dignitaries from Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain for a historic event, as Bahrain and UAE became the third and fourth Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel. Both nations joined Egypt and Jordan, who had previously signed peace treaties... Continue Reading →
Lebanon’s leaderless October Revolution calls for tangible changes
By Zoe Mize November 11, 2019 BOLOGNA, Italy –– On October 29, 2019, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri stepped down. The ongoing street protests known as the “October Revolution” that led to Hariri’s resignation were triggered by the announcement of a tax on digital phone calls, including those made on the popular messaging service WhatsApp.... Continue Reading →
With fire over Syria, smoke obscures Washington
October 23, 2019 By Dennis Murphy Johns Hopkins SAIS is a school that cannot be divorced from the world it studies. This was made clear when President Trump announced the withdrawal of American forces from parts of Northern Syria. Within minutes, professors were receiving calls from media outlets requesting comment. Many professors wrote lengthy articles... Continue Reading →