Sunday, February 5, 2017 FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN    Conflict in Myanmar: Ripe for Radicalization?

Recent clashes in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state—and the emergence of a new insurgent group, Harakah al-Yaqin—are attracting new attention to the country's Rohingya crisis. Given that many localized conflicts involving Muslims have been affected by global jihadist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, The Cipher Brief asks: is the ongoing struggle in northern Myanmar likely to attract jihadist terrorism? Wakar Uddin Director-General, Arakan Rohingya Union Laith Alkhouri Co-Founder and Director of Research for MENA, Flashpoint

The State of the Muslim Brotherhood Since taking control of Egypt in 2014, President Abdel Fatteh el-Sisi has cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood, the party whose leader, Mohammed Morsi—Egypt's first democratically elected president—was overthrown by the military. The Cipher Brief examines the current state of the Muslim Brotherhood and the potential implications of the new administration in Washington listing the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Eric Trager Esther K. Wagner Fellow, Washington Institute on Near East Policy Michele Dunne Director and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace The New Map of the Middle East When President Donald Trump took the oath of office on January 20th, he inherited U.S. policy in a vastly different Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region than the one Obama faced in 2008. From the political upheaval caused by the so-called "Arab Spring" to the rise of Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, the map of the Middle East has been politically, socially, and even literally redrawn over the past eight years. The Cipher Brief looks at this New Map of the Middle East to identify what challenges lie ahead for the new U.S. president.  Ambassador Dennis Ross Counselor, Washington Institute on Near East Policy Henri Barkey Director, Middle East Program, Wilson Center