Security sector reform will be a major factor in establishing the legitimacy of a post-Assad political order that abides by the demands of the uprising, establishing a civil, democratic and pluralistic state in which all citizens are equal before the law.

For the political transitions underway in the Arab world, different lessons may be drawn from experiences of countries that have passed through democratic transitions.

Tunisia’s 2011 revolution removed the Ben Ali regime but did not overthrow the country’s security institutions.

Despite the passage of more than three years since the outbreak of the revolution in Egypt, attempts to reform police and military institutions – or to develop democratic civilian rule – have not borne the desired fruit.

The May 26 presidential election in Egypt represents a challenge for members of the international community struggling to understand the country and craft appropriate diplomatic responses. Alvaro Vasconcelos and Michele Dunne make important recommendations for shaping EU and US policy to ensure that cooperation on security issues does not come at the expense of support for democratic reforms and the protection of space for political pluralism.

Two articles on the status of the institutions of the Armed Forces, the police and the judiciary in the 2014 Egyptian constitution and the decline in mechanisms of accountability and oversight.

After the Egyptian revolution, the constitution-writing process fell hostage to account-settling and short-term political deals, resulting in a stalemate. The same mistakes plague the process begun after Morsi’s ouster.

The ethnic and sectarian composition of the Syrian society and the distribution of the population across the country would not only fail to restore peace but it would also be a danger for the stability of neighboring countries.

Following the military coup of July 3^rd

Ever since President Mohammad Morsi was removed from his position on July 3, a lot the discussion inside and outside Egypt has centred around involving the Brotherhood in the new polit