Libya barely has a functioning government. Armed militias that overthrew Muammer Gaddafi last year still roam the land. And some eastern Libyans want to bolt from the union. But people still have to eat… Despite political and security worries, Tunisia’s largest food retailer has announced plans to expand operations into Libya. Monoprix Tunisia, an affiliate of the French supermarket giant, will begin opening 10 new stores this year in Libya, the company announced last week, according to the official Tunisian news agency. The two north African countries are consciously moving toward increased economic integration following revolutions that swept their regimes away last year. Tunisia is full of educated people and higher quality services. Libya is loaded with oil money. The stores will be located in ... Continue reading →

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The most significant terrorism related development in the past year has been the death of Usama bin Ladin as a result of a dramatic raid conducted by U.S. Navy SEAL commandos in Pakistan in May 2011. Equally as consequential for al-Qa`ida’s waning fortunes has been the “Arab Spring,” which since February 2011 has completely transformed the political landscape of the Middle East and North Africa. These two separate and unrelated developments have been widely heralded as signaling the demise, or at least the beginning of the end of al-Qa`ida. Yet while Bin Ladin’s death has inflicted a crushing blow on al-Qa`ida, it is not yet clear that it has necessarily been a lethal one. Similarly, while the mostly non-violent, mass protests of the Arab Spring ... Continue reading →