Skip to main content
Access provided by

Amin Saikal

Amin Saikal

8 commentaries

Amin Saikal, Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Western Australia, is the author of Iran Rising: The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic (Princeton University Press, 2019) and the co-author (with James Piscatori) of Islam Beyond Borders: The Umma in World Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2019).

Sort by: Show:
  1. Back to the Brink in Iran
    saikal8_OZAN KOSEAFP via Getty Images_iranprotests Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images

    Back to the Brink in Iran

    Oct 4, 2022 Amin Saikal explains why the regime may no longer be able to quell popular protest with force alone.

  2. Libya’s Double Tragedy
    saikal7_ABDULLAH DOMAAFP via Getty Images_libyawarconflictsoldier Abdullah Doma/AFP via Getty Images

    Libya’s Double Tragedy

    Jul 10, 2020 Amin Saikal worries that a combination of internal strife and external intervention will prolong the country's crisis.

  3. The Kingdom’s Botched War in Yemen
    saikal6_MOHAMMED HUWAISAFP via Getty Images_yemenwarsoldier Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images

    The Kingdom’s Botched War in Yemen

    May 1, 2020 Amin Saikal argues that Saudi Arabia should join UN peace talks after its failed, five-year military engagement in Yemen.

  4. Is Peace with the Taliban Possible?
    saikal5_STRAFPGetty Images_kabul STR/AFP/Getty Images

    Is Peace with the Taliban Possible?

    Aug 23, 2019 Amin Saikal says current American efforts to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan have worrying historical parallels.

  5. Trump’s Failed Iran Policy
    saikal4_AFPGettyImages_iranoiltankerfire AFP/Getty Images

    Trump’s Failed Iran Policy

    Aug 7, 2019 Amin Saikal says that the Islamic Republic will negotiate with the United States, but will never simply capitulate.

  1. tharoor199_ Sonu MehtaHindustan Times via Getty Images_shahieidgah Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
    0

    Islam on Trial in India

    Shashi Tharoor warns that efforts to replace centuries-old mosques with Hindu temples could trigger communal violence.
  2. reichlin39_da-kukGetty Images_dollarcrypto da-kuk/Getty Images
    0

    Will Crypto Save the Dollar?

    Lucrezia Reichlin asks whether the Trump administration's stablecoin strategy can preserve the greenback's global hegemony.
  3. op_pei3_Hulton-Deutsch CollectionCORBISCorbis via Getty Images_zhouenlai Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images
    0

    The Tragedy of Zhou Enlai

    Minxin Pei

    The reputation of China's longest-serving premier has fared far better than that of the Maoist regime he faithfully served. Zhou's political survival skills enabled him to survive many purges, and even to steer Mao away from potential disasters, but he could not escape the Chairman's cruelty, even at the end of his life.

     reflects on the complicated life and legacy of the renowned diplomat who was Mao Zedong’s dutiful lieutenant.
  4. velasco156_Alex WroblewskiGettyImages_dnc_harris_buttons Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images
    2

    How Liberals Lost America

    Andrés Velasco attributes Donald Trump’s return to power to Democrats’ embrace of both moral neutrality and moral preachiness.
  5. halland10_TERJE PEDERSENNTBAFP via Getty Images_norwayukraineaid Terje Pedersenntb/AFP via Getty Images
    0

    Norway Should Cede Its War Windfall to Ukraine

    Håvard Halland & Knut Anton Mork say that the government's justifications for its war profiteering are disingenuous and short-sighted.
  6. bhide11_Anthony KwanGettyImages_deepseek Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
    1

    Is DeepSeek Really a Threat?

    Amar Bhidé

    If vindicated, DeepSeek’s technology could be to large language models what Nikola Tesla’s breakthroughs with alternating current were to electrification. While it cannot overcome the unavoidable limitations of backward-looking statistical models, it could make their price performance good enough for wider use.

     explains what a purported Chinese AI breakthrough does and does not mean for the industry.
  7. spence180_Picture AllianceGettyImages_germany_annual_economic_report Picture Alliance/Getty Images
    0

    What’s Wrong With Germany’s Economy?

    Michael Spence thinks the country’s prospects depend significantly on closing the digital-technology gap with the US and China.
  8. hausmann119_Christine OlssonGettyImages_northvolt_bankruptcy Christine Olsson/Getty Images
    1

    When Companies Fail to Learn, They Learn to Fail

    Ricardo Hausmann explains how the inability to identify and address knowledge gaps can doom even the most promising projects.
  9. berahab1_LUDOVIC MARINAFP via Getty Images_gabonforest Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
    0

    How to Make Carbon Pricing Work for Africa

    Rim Berahab & Otaviano Canuto argue that policies must be structured to facilitate, not obstruct, the continent’s shift to renewables.

Edit Newsletter Preferences

Set up Notification

To receive email updates regarding this {entity_type}, please enter your email below.

If you are not already registered, this will create a PS account for you. You should receive an activation email shortly.