Michael Stephens - openDemocracy

Obama’s strategy beyond an abnormal war

To defeat IS you have not only to beat it militarily, but to undercut the financial and ideological underpinnings upon which it rests, and replace it with something that ensures that it cannot manifest again in future times.

By Michael Stephens

/ 15 Sep 2014

Qatar in change

The young Emir presides over a bustling city that grows with each passing day, it must be fed, housed and paid for. Growing pains are everywhere, and the spotlight shines fiercely on Doha and the way of life here as never before.

By Michael Stephens

/ 18 Nov 2013

Qatar in change

The young Emir presides over a bustling city that grows with each passing day, it must be fed, housed and paid for. Growing pains are everywhere, and the spotlight shines fiercely on Doha and the way of life here as never before.

By Michael Stephens

/ 18 Nov 2013

Workers' rights in Qatar

Reform will come, because it is increasingly clear that the system has become untenable.

By Michael Stephens

/ 24 Sep 2013

Qatari foreign policy: a way out

It’s been a bad month. Rather than put money into the central bank in Cairo, why not help subsidise staple foods for Egypt’s poorest, or support relief aid in North Africa?

By Michael Stephens

/ 22 Jul 2013

The Egyptian crisis and its regional effects

Should Egypt collapse into violence and disarray, supporting the Army might well make the UAE look similar to how Iran and Qatar appear in Syria - one sided backers in a conflict that pulls the country apart rather than unifying it.

By Michael Stephens

/ 9 Jul 2013

The Egyptian crisis and its regional effects

Should Egypt collapse into violence and disarray, supporting the Army might well make the UAE look similar to how Iran and Qatar appear in Syria - one sided backers in a conflict that pulls the country apart rather than unifying it.

By Michael Stephens

/ 9 Jul 2013

Qatar’s future a quieter one?

Perhaps being a little less interesting from now on in would help ensure the country a more stable and prosperous future.

By Michael Stephens

/ 25 Jun 2013

Is Qatar guilty of sectarianism in Syria?

Let’s be clear here, Qatar lost in Qusair. It is embarrassing and undermines two years and $3bn of financial support to the rebel movement. And it is time that Qatar began to take some responsibility for things Qaradawi has said, and is saying with regards to Syria.

By Michael Stephens

/ 10 Jun 2013

Qatar’s dark side

The influx of journalists, writers, thinkers and generally socially engaged expatriates, alongside a growing class of civically minded Qataris ensures that these dark sides no longer remain hidden from view.

By Michael Stephens

/ 15 May 2013

Qatar and the US have a working relationship

The differences concerning Israel, the occasionally troublesome Al Jazeera network, and Qatar’s hosting and funding of hard-line Islamists have been papered over in favour of larger strategic visions which ensure the interests of both parties.

By Michael Stephens

/ 30 Apr 2013

The Qatari reaction to the Egyptian crisis

From this side of the political divide the Egyptians appear ungrateful, rude and disrespectful.

By Michael Stephens

/ 16 Apr 2013