Under Islamist Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia now serves as a testing ground for the ideas and ambitions of a powerful American Islamist network based in Virginia. Ibrahim and his Western Islamist backers newfound power illustrates an important
Tunisia s president is locking up political opponents and inciting racist violence, as the country s economy plunges into further chaos, President Kaïs Saïed is making good on his 28 December promise to crack down on what he calls the enemies of Tunisia . In the past few weeks, he has imprisoned political heavyweights including Noureddine Bhiri, a senior official in Islamist Ennahda party, influential activist Khayam Turki, and the former kingmaker for former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, Kamel Eltaïef. Leaders from the National Salvation Front and other political activists have been locked up too.
Kais Saied’s racist speech against African migrants has isolated Tunisia internationally and sparked protest, but there is little sign that the president is prepared to engage with his critics.
The State Department’s latest budget calls for steep cuts to US economic aid to several countries in the Middle East while largely sustaining military aid.