Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 22haje.news/wp9iyqaje.newsLibya’s parliament removes Speaker Saleh after 12 years as discontent growsEastern-based parliament votes to replace longtime speaker with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 07/10/2026mei.edu/backgrounder...mei.eduWestern Sahara - Middle East Institute 011
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 06/10/2026www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...theguardian.com‘Spit on our sacrifice’: Canadian veterans fume after Trump and allies take jibes at militaryMilitary families say Trump officials ‘owe us an apology’ after disparaging remarks by JD Vance, Pete Hegseth and others 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 06/10/2026bbc.com/news/article...bbc.comLockerbie bombing trial date set as judge warns against further delayThe federal prosecution of a Libyan man over the deadliest terrorist attack in UK history will get under way on 19 January. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 05/10/2026www.nytimes.com/athletic/765...nytimes.comExplained: Why a controversial offside call that caused furious reaction was correct (Gift Article)Libya’s bench were furious as their team were dramatically denied a glorious goalscoring opportunity against Tunisia 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 04/10/2026www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...theguardian.comLibyan unity talks upended as warlord’s son linked to drone attacks on fuel facilitiesWestern Libya’s GNU say working with Saddam Haftar ‘impossible’ as US-backed merger plan breaks down 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 04/10/2026@nickkristof.bsky.social writes "Trump and Iran have a history of overreaching. It doesn’t help that Trump’s chief negotiators, Jared Kushner & Steve Witkoff, are real estate investors chosen for their closeness to Trump rather than for, er, their diplomatic savvy." www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/o...nytimes.comOpinion | Trump’s War Empowers Extremists in Iran (Gift Article)Threats to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty are growing in Tehran. 0154
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 03/10/2026aje.news/pgum69aje.newsTunisia softens its ‘false news’ penalty. What really changed, and why now?Fines replace jail terms for first-time 'false news' offences under a decree rights groups say is still repressive. 011
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 02/10/2026share.google/yDVxQyg7qwBW...share.googleMorocco’s Historic Gender Equality Moment That Won’t Move the NeedleFatima El Mansouri is the country’s first female prime minister. She’s also a privileged insider in a largely ceremonial position. 020
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 02/10/2026f24.my/CC4D.BSf24.myLibya's pay strike rallies teachers across divided nationIn Libya, a teachers' strike over pay has shut schools and delayed the start of the school year, rallying educators across the oil-rich but politically divided country. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 01/10/2026@nicholaskralev.bsky.social shares ten examples of diplomatic malpractice. nicholaskralev.substack.com/p/the-most-a...nicholaskralev.substack.comThe Most Absurd Ambassadorial Appointments in Modern HistoryEnvoys of Hitler and Trump dominate the list, but appointees of three other U.S. presidents also make the cut. 001
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 01/10/2026www.reuters.com/world/africa...reuters.comUS ceasefire plan for Sudan could lead to Libya-style partition, adviser saysA US ceasefire proposal to pause Sudan's civil war could push the country towards a Libya-style partition in its current form, a top adviser to Sudan's army-led authorities told Reuters, in some of ... 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 01/10/2026With my comment. youtu.be/0JmrJY-duAg?...youtu.beU.S. forces leave Iraq after more than 2 decadesYouTube video by CBC News: The National 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Earlier today, I discussed the completion of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq on the Pakistan TV news program “Beyond Borders.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lPm...youtube.comUS Forces Exit Iraq After Two Decades | Russia-Ukraine War Intensifies | Beyond Borders | 30-9-2026YouTube video by Pakistan TV 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 30/09/2026@dandrezner.bsky.social observes that "learning to write is integral to success in text-based spheres of activity. This is where... relying on AI becomes a concern. Studies suggest that outsourcing that task to AI comes with significant cognitive costs." danieldrezner.substack.com/p/im-a-colle...danieldrezner.substack.comI’m a College Professor. Writing is Pretty Damn Important.It’s hardly the only thing -- but it’s a very important thing! 23412
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 29/09/2026www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menaso...atlanticcouncil.orgWhat’s behind the Algeria-UAE ruptureAlgeria's severing of diplomatic ties with the UAE reflects a broader struggle over regional influence and sovereignty. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Gift article: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...nytimes.comIsrael Keeps Expanding Into Gaza Despite Cease-Fire, Satellite Images Show (Gift Article)The Israeli military has built new outposts and slowly encroached beyond the withdrawal line in Gaza. These are signs its troops may be preparing to stay for the time being. 001
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 27/09/2026www.reuters.com/business/ene...reuters.comUN mission warns disruption to Libya oil infrastructure could trigger sanctionsAttacks targeting Libya's energy infrastructure, or any actions that could undermine it, may constitute grounds for sanctions under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the UN Support Miss... 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 27/09/2026America "has no easy way out of its war with Iran. Yet the conflict, however it ends, will in fact mark something quite different: the moment when America pulls back from the region—in the sense that it finally relinquishes its hegemony there." Gift article: www.economist.com/leaders/2026...economist.comWhen America walks awayFor decades America has enjoyed hegemony over the Middle East. That is about to end 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 26/09/2026 rfi.my/D4uy.BSrfi.myUN refugees chief warns conditions in W.Sahara 'deteriorating'The United Nations' top official for refugees warned on Friday that conditions for long-displaced people in Western Sahara were getting worse and that their humanitarian needs were starkly underfunded... 010
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 26/09/2026newlinesmag.com/spotlight/in...newlinesmag.comIn Defense of Egyptian FoodEgyptian food has long had a bad reputation, but it’s time to reassess what you think you know about mahshy, molokhia in duck stock, koshary — and tamiyya versus falafel. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 26/09/2026"Despite being embroiled in a war in the Persian Gulf, the U.S. has no ambassadors to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, or Iraq; it also doesn’t have an ambassador in Yemen, where a rebel group has grabbed some control over another waterway." www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...theatlantic.comThe Absences Haunting the Trump AdministrationThe president has left hundreds of appointed roles open—including those that would have a central role in implementing his priorities. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Earlier today, I discussed the prospects for a diplomatic solution to the war in the Middle East and the role of the United Nations on the Pakistan TV news program “The Perspective.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ke...youtube.comPERSPECTIVE | UNGA 81st: Can Diplomacy Resolve Today’s Global Conflicts? | 25-09-2026 | PakistanTVYouTube video by Pakistan TV 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Gift article: www.economist.com/middle-east-...economist.comA disastrous new war threatens in AfricaHeavy fighting in Tigray could herald a wider regional conflict 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 25/09/2026aje.news/v8uhxyaje.newsTunisia fuel strike highlights growing economic and political angerA 48-hour strike in Tunis adds to mounting public frustration over worsening living conditions and basic services. 010
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Gregory Gause, @abuaardvark.bsky.social, and @suzannemaloney.bsky.social examined whether the Middle East has truly changed @imes-gw.bsky.social. This panel discussion, moderated by Chloe Fox and co-sponsored by @foreignaffairs.com, is well worth listening to. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcQw...youtube.comHas the Middle East Really Changed?YouTube video by IMES at GW 001
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 23/09/2026www.euronews.com/2026/09/22/a...euronews.comArmed group shuts Libyan oil pipeline, jeopardising exportsA valve closure on the El Sharara-to-Zawiya pipeline has cut production at a field accounting for roughly a third of Libya's total output, prompting the national oil company to warn it may declare for... 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 23/09/2026David Ignatius concludes by observing that "wise leaders view the future with humility — and a recognition that even with vast power, they can’t steer events. We’re stuck with the autocratic leaders we’ve got. But not forever." Gift article: wapo.st/4ykp5JZwapo.stOpinion | The twilight of an autocratic ageThese autocrats may seem immovable. But their time is passing. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 22/09/2026There is still time to register for this event, which takes place tomorrow (Wednesday, September 23) at 1 p.m. EDT. Join us for a thought-provoking examination of an essential foreign policy issue. Thanks to @foreignaffairs.com for co-sponsoring this panel discussion. 010
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 22/09/2026www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...theatlantic.comAmerica’s Allies Are No Longer Waiting for Trump to LeaveThey now figure isolationism and protectionism will be U.S. foreign policy for a long time to come. 021
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 22/09/2026@maxboot.bsky.social writes that "the Greenland crisis once again shows the cost of having an out-of-control president who governs based on whim and ego and bluster without any reference to long-term national interest. It’s good that it’s over, for now." maxboot.substack.com/p/trump-ends...maxboot.substack.comTrump ends the Greenland crisis he created. For now.Trump didn’t get anything justifying the massive strain he put on trans-Atlantic relations 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 21/09/2026nilefm.com/sports/artic...nilefm.comExclusive | Amany Khalil On Becoming The First Egyptian Woman To Complete Seven World Marathon Majors | NileFM | EGYPT'S#1 FOR HIT MUSICExclusive | Amany Khalil On Becoming The First Egyptian Woman To Complete Seven World Marathon Majors 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 19/09/2026www.newarab.com/news/protest...newarab.comProtests sweep across Tunisia: is change coming?Protests over jobs, development and dignity are spreading across Tunisia, raising questions about growing links between social and political mobilisation. 031
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 19/09/2026@dandrezner.bsky.social writes that "one would assume that State would at least be trying to cushion the myriad strategic blows the world has inflicted on this administration. The thing is, by all accounts the State Department is badly adrift." danieldrezner.substack.com/p/the-beclow...danieldrezner.substack.comThe Beclowning of the State Department Continues ApaceHeckuva job you’re doing, Marco Rubio. 0218
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 18/09/2026www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/tu...middleeasteye.netTunisia's summer of discontentRolling blackouts plunged entire neighbourhoods into darkness with water shortages sparking fights and raids on supply trucks. With prices rising and jobs scarce, Tunisia's economic malaise is hitting... 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Important analysis by my @imes-gw.bsky.social colleague, Professor Nathan Brown. @carnegiemec.bsky.social carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/...carnegieendowment.orgOld Wine in New BattlesIt is improbable that Israel’s forthcoming elections will alter much in terms of how the country thinks about security. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 14/09/2026@maxboot.bsky.social: "Both Iran & Ukraine have every incentive to keep fighting, because both of their governments know that defeat could be fatal for them. The only realistic way to end these wars is via diplomacy, & that will require Trump & Putin to make difficult concessions." wapo.st/4cHMyvUwapo.stOpinion | Trump and Putin are both wrong: They can’t win their warsAll that Ukraine and Iran have in common is their resilience against much larger adversaries. 110
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Interesting commentary by @petermjuul.bsky.social. pmjuul.substack.com/p/look-what-...pmjuul.substack.comLook What They Make You GiveWatching the Jason Bourne films in the era of Trump 010
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 13/09/2026www.politico.com/news/magazin...politico.comThe Future of Western Sahara Runs Down the Donald J. Trump HighwayThe 655-mile desert road is playing an unusual role in the American president’s plans for the Middle East. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 13/09/2026www.arabnews.com/middle-east/...arabnews.comNGOs sound alarm over Tunisia prison deaths due to heatwaveRights advocates are warning about poor detention conditions in Tunisia where at least 23 prisoners have died recently from extreme heat. Authorities have not confirmed these figures without forensic ... 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 12/09/2026www.theatlantic.com/internationa...theatlantic.comTrump Loses the Other StraitThe Houthi advance is bad news for the U.S., and even worse news for Saudi Arabia. 021
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 12/09/2026qantara.de/en/article/r...qantara.deReligious diversity in Tunisia: The Virgin Mary on the streets of Tunis | Qantara.deIn Tunisia, a tradition is being revived: the Marian procession in La Goulette. Christians, Jews and Muslims from around the world are coming together to make a statement in favour of peaceful coexist... 011
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 11/09/2026My reflections on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. youtube.com/shorts/MmPCo...youtube.comAmb. Gordon Gray reflects on the lasting impact of 9/11 on the United States #ShortsYouTube video by Elliott School of International Affairs 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 11/09/2026www.reuters.com/world/middle...reuters.comAlgeria cuts diplomatic ties with the UAEAlgeria abruptly severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, citing what it described as a series of "provocative or hostile" actions by Abu Dhabi but giving no specific ... 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 11/09/2026www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/...aljazeera.com‘A historic day’: Spain moves closer to citizenship for Western SaharansSpain’s parliament backs citizenship for Sahrawis amid tense relations with Morocco after the Ceuta crossing. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Join us next Tuesday (September 15) at 2 p.m., when @sarahleah1.bsky.social and Michael Omer-Man will discuss their book, "From Apartheid to Democracy" at GW's Elliott School of International Affairs. @imes-gw.bsky.social Professor Nathan Brown will moderate. imes.elliott.gwu.edu/from-aparthe...imes.elliott.gwu.eduFrom Apartheid to Democracy | Institute for Middle East Studies | The George Washington UniversityThe Middle East Policy Forum hosts Michael Omer-Man and Sarah Leah Whitson, authors of "From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Israel-Palestine" 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 11/09/2026On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, let's remember the heroic actions of brave Americans that day rather than the terrorists. youtu.be/18lsxFcDrjo?...youtu.beBOATLIFT - An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience (HD Version)YouTube video by Eyepop Productions 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 11/09/2026www.cnn.com/world/africa...cnn.comTunisia is one of the world’s largest olive oil producers — but you’ll rarely see it mentioned on a label | CNNDespite being a huge producer and exporter of olive oil, you’d struggle to find anything labeled Tunisian oil in supermarkets outside the country. 001
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 09/09/2026www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menaso...atlanticcouncil.orgWill Washington back the UN’s Libya roadmap with more than just rhetoric?There are actionable steps the US can take now to help bring about Libya's first national elections in more than a decade. 000
Gordon Gray @ambgordongray.bsky.social · 09/09/2026www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...al-monitor.comTunisian journalists protest over media crackdown after colleague’s arrestTUNIS, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Tunisian journalists protested on Tuesday to demand the release of prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, whose arrest has become a new flashpoint amid accusations that Preside... 000