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Amin Saikal

Amin Saikal

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Amin Saikal, Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Western Australia, is the author of Iran Rising: The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic (Princeton University Press, 2019) and the co-author (with James Piscatori) of Islam Beyond Borders: The Umma in World Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2019).

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  1. Back to the Brink in Iran
    saikal8_OZAN KOSEAFP via Getty Images_iranprotests Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images

    Back to the Brink in Iran

    Oct 4, 2022 Amin Saikal explains why the regime may no longer be able to quell popular protest with force alone.

  2. Libya’s Double Tragedy
    saikal7_ABDULLAH DOMAAFP via Getty Images_libyawarconflictsoldier Abdullah Doma/AFP via Getty Images

    Libya’s Double Tragedy

    Jul 10, 2020 Amin Saikal worries that a combination of internal strife and external intervention will prolong the country's crisis.

  3. The Kingdom’s Botched War in Yemen
    saikal6_MOHAMMED HUWAISAFP via Getty Images_yemenwarsoldier Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images

    The Kingdom’s Botched War in Yemen

    May 1, 2020 Amin Saikal argues that Saudi Arabia should join UN peace talks after its failed, five-year military engagement in Yemen.

  4. Is Peace with the Taliban Possible?
    saikal5_STRAFPGetty Images_kabul STR/AFP/Getty Images

    Is Peace with the Taliban Possible?

    Aug 23, 2019 Amin Saikal says current American efforts to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan have worrying historical parallels.

  5. Trump’s Failed Iran Policy
    saikal4_AFPGettyImages_iranoiltankerfire AFP/Getty Images

    Trump’s Failed Iran Policy

    Aug 7, 2019 Amin Saikal says that the Islamic Republic will negotiate with the United States, but will never simply capitulate.

  1. vaheesan2_Michael M. SantiagoGetty Images_gigworkersprotest Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

    The Gig Economy vs. America’s Workers

    Sandeep Vaheesan warns that proposed ballot initiatives in Massachusetts would legalize exploitative employment practices.
  2. sherwin13_CURTIS MEANSPOOLAFP via Getty Images_repubicans trump trial CURTIS MEANS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

    King Trump on Trial

    Richard K. Sherwin

    High-ranking Republican politicians have lately been turning up at Donald Trump’s New York City trial to demonstrate solidarity with the former president. But their attendance also serves a more alarming purpose: to validate Trump as a competing source of sovereign power, independent of the US Constitution and the rule of law.

    explains why a parade of Republican leaders have made appearances at the former president’s trial in New York.
  3. spence173_ Joe RaedleGetty Images_power Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Crunch Time for the Power Sector

    Michael Spence argues that developing flexible, stable, and resilient smart grids requires an expanded industrial policy.
  4. op_janeway16_SAUL LOEBAFP via Getty Images_bidenchips Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

    The Rise of Mesoeconomics

    William H. Janeway

    A growing body of literature focusing on the domain between the microeconomic and the macroeconomic has become increasingly relevant in a world beset by supply shocks. Armed with such insights, those designing industrial policies will have a better chance of achieving their overlapping economic- and national-security goals.

    details how a long-neglected field of economic study can be applied to today's most pressing policy challenges.
  5. strain27_Philipp von Ditfurthpicture alliance via Getty Images_AIeducation Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images

    What the AI Pessimists Are Missing

    Michael R. Strain points out that the technology will help to address many of the risks it creates.
  6. ito37_Spencer PlattGetty Images_columbiaprotests Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The Innocent Bystanders of College Protests

    Takatoshi Ito laments that a radical minority can disrupt the lives of so many in the broader university community.
  7. lacamera1_Wang DongzhenXinhua via Getty Images_COP28 Wang Dongzhen/Xinhua via Getty Images

    Only Public-Private Cooperation Can Accelerate Decarbonization

    Francesco La Camera & Bruce Douglas explain how to translate political commitments into actual wind turbines and solar panels.
  8. haass167_ANATOLII STEPANOVAFP via Getty Images_ukrainesoldiers Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

    Defining Success in Ukraine

    Richard Haass calls for a shift to a defensive posture and efforts to bring about a long-term ceasefire.
  9. aslund75_Pierre CromGetty Images_ukraineconflict Pierre Crom/Getty Images

    A Unified Western Strategy for Ukraine

    Anders Åslund proposes a maximalist approach to military aid to replace the current piecemeal injections of old weapons.

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