Reposted by Andrew M LeberDana El Kurd @danaelkurd.bsky.social · 01/07/2026It's out! The full "Handbook on Authoritarianism in the Arab World" is available open access here: www.bloomsburycollections.com/encyclopedia... 32631191
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Nothing indicates a university's priorities like announcing a massive real estate deal while offering raises that don't keep up with inflation. 000
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCool Zone Media @coolzonemedia.bsky.social · 11/06/2026New It Could Happen Here The Arab Gulf States in the Line of Fire @danaelkurd.bsky.social @andrewleber.bsky.social linktr.ee/ICHHpod 0174
Reposted by Andrew M LeberForeign Affairs @foreignaffairs.com · 05/06/2026Without regional cooperation, the United Arab Emirates “faces a future not of strategic autonomy as it craves but of dependence on political decisions made in the United States and Israel,” writes @andrewleber.bsky.social.foreignaffairs.comCan the UAE Go It Alone?A risky quest for strategic autonomy in a war-torn Middle East. 053
Reposted by Andrew M LeberMira Al Hussein @miraalhussein.bsky.social · 05/06/2026“As the country becomes less attractive to foreign investors and workers, Emirati officials and executives may seek out more extractive economic arrangements in places where the UAE has the leverage to drive a hard bargain, particularly in Africa.” - ✍️ @andrewleber.bsky.socialforeignaffairs.comCan the UAE Go It Alone?A risky quest for strategic autonomy in a war-torn Middle East. 024
Reposted by Andrew M LeberSam Heller | سام هيلر @abujamajem.com · 05/06/2026@andrewleber.bsky.social for @foreignaffairs.com on the Emirates' redoubled commitment to its relationships with the United States and Israel, and alienation from its Arab neighbors: www.foreignaffairs.com/united-arab-...foreignaffairs.comCan the UAE Go It Alone?A risky quest for strategic autonomy in a war-torn Middle East. 023
Reposted by Andrew M LeberMohamed Dhia Hammami @meddhiah.bsky.social · 29/05/2026📢 Public good announcement : I’m releasing 3 R packages 📦 with data from the last 2 censuses in Tunisia 🇹🇳, including one with harmonized panel data (I’m using in my dissertation). Available on my GitHub. CRAN version upcoming. www.mohameddhiahammami.com/data 047
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCarnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 08/05/2026The Saudi monarchy seems to be rolling back – or outright abandoning – some of its most ambitious projects. Unless the state can ease up on repression at home, Vision 2030 risks stalling in the home stretch. @andrewleber.bsky.social explains: carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...carnegieendowment.orgThe Iran War Isn’t the Only Challenge Facing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030As the monarchy appears to question its grandest projects, the state could do with more critical debate than rote cheerleading. 051
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 05/05/2026Twitter's algorithms do terrible things to the mind but Bluesky's have turned it into an irrelevance... much to consider. 010
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCarnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 08/04/2026The ceasefire in Iran appears to be a step forward, but it hasn't brought the war to a close. @andrewleber.bsky.social weighed in. 071
Reposted by Andrew M LeberDavid Faris @davidfaris.bsky.social · 07/04/2026For @thenation.com I look at why the Saudis are telling Trump to escalate from the sidelines, and what it says about the US-led security architecture in the Persian Gulf. With gratitude for insights from @andrewleber.bsky.social and @philbrickyadav.bsky.social. www.thenation.com/article/worl...thenation.comHow the Saudis Keep Sidestepping a Costly Role in the Iran WarThe brutal Gulf monarchy has been cheerleading Trump’s insane war off-stage but won’t commit to any direct role in the conflict 23020
Reposted by Andrew M LeberAuthoritarian Political Systems Group @apsgworkshop.bsky.social · 30/03/2026New publication! @govjournal.bsky.social Many authoritarian regimes seek mass support through policy perf. When do citizens respond? @andrewleber.bsky.social and @draege.bsky.social highlight the role of hist. legacies of development in labor-market views in Saudi Arabia doi.org/10.1111/gove...doi.orgEvaluating Authoritarian Performance: Historical Legacies and Contemporary Attitudes in Saudi ArabiaMany authoritarian regimes seek mass support through policy performance – delivering material benefits to citizens. When do citizens respond to these appeals? Standard explanations emphasize national... 053
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 25/03/2026I've mostly left this site but the idea MBS is pulling the strings here is such an amazingly crackpot theory I had to interject to say as such. 110
Reposted by Andrew M LeberNeil Lewis @neil-lewis.bsky.social · 05/03/2026FT comments section this morning - saying what everyone else is thinking, right? 503171245953
Reposted by Andrew M LeberKelsey Atherton @atherton.bsky.social · 04/03/2026By a mostly party-line vote of 47 to 53 (Rand a yes, Fetterman a no), the Senate has failed take back authority over war. The mad king keeps getting to do what he wants! Still, this is no 2001 AUMF (98-0 in the Senate) or 2002 Iraq War AUMF (77-23 in the Senate). We're at the low ceiling of the war 422664
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 03/03/2026"It is against this backdrop that Khamenei’s actions leading up to the American and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 that cost him his life must be seen." @ericlob.bsky.social theconversation.com/ayatollah-al...theconversation.comAyatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing plays into Shiite Islam’s reverence for martyrs, but not for all IraniansKhamenei was a deeply polarizing figure in Iran – perceived by some as a martyr and others as an oppressor. 001
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 03/03/2026Wrote up initial observations on the war & what Pres. Trump called its "biggest surprise"* for @carnegieendowment.org *(it won't surprise you that he shouldn't have been surprised) carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202... 063
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 01/03/2026From Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji last year for @foreignaffairs.com on Khamenei and what comes next (1/2, gift links) www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/r...foreignaffairs.comWill Iran’s Next Supreme Leader Be Its Last?Khamenei’s Succession Dilemma and the Future of the Islamic Republic 110
Reposted by Andrew M LeberAbu Aardvark @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 27/02/2026“The MESA/AAUP report documents in vivid detail the cost of both Biden’s and Trump’s weaponization of antidiscrimination law... The immediate victims are pro-Palestinian activists and critics of Israel. The ultimate victims will be everyone.” Important piece by Mohammed Fadel archive.ph/8tbOMarchive.ph 0114
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 24/02/2026A surge of recent reporting about internal concerns over U.S. strikes on Iran: From NYT (2/22), per "officials with knowledge of the meeting," Trump's lack of a clear strategy and military officials' concerns about readiness & supplies. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/22/u...nytimes.comTrump Says Top General Predicts Easy Victory Over Iran; He Says Otherwise in Private 110
Reposted by Andrew M LeberJonas Draege @draege.bsky.social · 23/02/2026My article with @andrewleber.bsky.social is out now in @govjournal.bsky.social! Evaluating Authoritarian Performance: Historical Legacies and Contemporary Attitudes in Saudi Arabia doi.org/10.1111/gove... 063
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 22/02/2026U.S. war on/with Iran looking v likely based on troop positioning, Trump's statements, lack of overlap in bargaining positions, and more. Decision-making is very much down to Trump himself, with his thinking heavily informed by a belief that his Middle East/military "gambles" have paid off before. 020
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 21/02/2026In a new article for @govjournal.bsky.social, @draege.bsky.social & I examine labor-market views in Saudi Arabia to argue that "historical legacies of development substantially affect perceptions of regime [policy] performance in the long run." [Open Access] onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...onlinelibrary.wiley.com 041
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 21/02/2026The other site is evil but it doesn't turn your brain into mush like this site seems to. 110
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 19/02/2026If you are in the DC area and interested in discussing US policy toward Iran (and related concerns) in on off-site/offline capacity DM/reach out! 000
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCarnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 10/02/2026Last week, the UAE hosted talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. It’s the latest example of Gulf monarchies positioning themselves as important venues for diplomacy. But what do they get out of hosting talks like these? @andrewleber.bsky.social explains: youtube.com/shorts/U9qqE...youtube.comWhy Is the UAE Hosting Ukraine-Russia Talks?YouTube video by Carnegie Explains 002
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 30/01/2026Spoke with @eoinhiggins.bsky.social for @eko.org about what the Clintons (and Tucker Carlson) are doing in Riyadh for a real estate conference: ekonews.substack.com/p/whats-saud...ekonews.substack.comWhat's Saudi Arabia's image rehab all about?There's a growing divide between "haves" and "have-nots" in the country. 2235
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 24/01/2026Every Dem who voted for more ICE funding voted for this. Every pundit spinning reasons why ICE can't be abolished condones this. bringmethenews.com/minnesota-ne...bringmethenews.comBREAKING: Federal agent shoots man in south MinneapolisA Bring Me The News reporter was near the scene, and recorded multiple gunshots. 020
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 18/01/2026Gosh, the university funded by the Palantir exec turned out to be a right-wing infuence op rather than a paragon of free speech and open inquiry? www.politico.com/news/magazin...politico.comThey Wanted a University Without Cancel Culture. Then Dissenters Were Ousted.Inside the civil war at the anti-woke university backed by Bari Weiss. 040
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCarnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 07/01/2026At the end of 2025, tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE came to a head over conflict in Yemen. What exactly happened, and what does it mean for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the region? @andrewleber.bsky.social explains: youtube.com/shorts/URKId...youtube.comWhy Did Saudi-UAE Tensions Escalate?YouTube video by Carnegie Explains 032
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 29/12/2025Fun thing to publish right as we're kicking off the New New New Middle East Cold War 3224
Reposted by Andrew M LeberMarc Owen Jones @marcowenjones.bsky.social · 20/12/2025New Analysis on my Substack: I Detected Over 5,000 Bot-Like Accounts Amplifying UAE-Aligned STC Narratives in Southern Yemen open.substack.com/pub/marcowen...open.substack.comAnalysis: I Detected Over 5,000 Bot Accounts Amplifying UAE-Aligned STC Narratives on Southern YemenA network and anomaly analysis of 56,000 tweets pushing Southern Yemen independence 02916
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCarnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 19/12/2025Yemen’s civil war is back in the news. Why? @andrewleber.bsky.social unpacks what’s going on in Yemen (and beyond): youtube.com/shorts/sIQBF...youtube.comWhat's New in Yemen's Civil War?YouTube video by Carnegie Explains 012
Reposted by Andrew M LeberDana El Kurd @danaelkurd.bsky.social · 28/11/2025Our handbook has a page on the publisher site :) (Available open access! Dont mind the price!) www.bloomsbury.com/us/ib-tauris...bloomsbury.com 47120
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 21/11/2025Looking for a short read on your commute home (at the intersection of IR theory and current events)? I wrote on international status and MBS' Washington visit for @carnegieendowment.org 160
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCarnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 21/11/2025Saudi Crown Price Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington yielded a few headline-grabbing deals. @andrewleber.bsky.social breaks down what changed – and what didn’t – for the U.S.-Saudi relationship this week: youtube.com/shorts/1pEJB...youtube.comTakeaways from MBS's Washington VisitYouTube video by Carnegie Explains 031
Reposted by Andrew M LeberThe Harvard Crimson @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social · 18/11/2025Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will step back from all public commitments in an effort “to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me,” he wrote in a statement. Crimson News Staff report. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...thecrimson.comSummers To Step Back from Public Commitments Amid Epstein Scandal | News | The Harvard CrimsonFormer Harvard President Lawerence H. Summers will step back from all public commitments in an effort “to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me,” he wrote in a… 275115
Reposted by Andrew M LeberMarshall Steinbaum @econmarshall.bsky.social · 15/11/2025The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving. 2253506712
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCarnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 31/10/2025With security cooperation with the U.S. and economic ties with China, do Gulf monarchies get the best of both worlds? @andrewleber.bsky.social explains: China’s manufacturing capacity and high-tech capabilities shape competition in the region. Full article: carnegieendowment.org/research/202...carnegieendowment.orgImports and Influence: China’s Growing Economic Presence in the GulfThe Arab Gulf monarchies offer a window into the policy implications of China’s rising global economic influence, driven by its substantial manufacturing capacity and growing range of high-tech capabi... 47022
Reposted by Andrew M LeberPetter Törnberg @pettertornberg.com · 30/10/2025Posting is correlated with affective polarization: 😡 The most partisan users — those who love their party and despise the other — are more likely to post about politics 🥊 The result? A loud angry minority dominates online politics, which itself can drive polarization (see doi.org/10.1073/pnas...) 528756
Reposted by Andrew M LeberAuthoritarian Political Systems Group @apsgworkshop.bsky.social · 29/10/2025Join us next week! Tiffany Simon (@harvardkennedy.bsky.social) will present "Happiness as Control: The Political Consequences of Entertainment Policy in Saudi Arabia" and @andrewleber.bsky.social (@tulanepolisci.bsky.social) and @aasiegel.bsky.social (@colorado.edu) will discuss 063
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 14/10/2025In case of interest for anybody in the DC area 020
Reposted by Andrew M LeberCarnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 06/10/2025Initiatives like the Riyadh Comedy Festival aren’t helping Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman “clean up” his image abroad. But the kingdom’s international reputation isn’t its main priority here. @andrewleber.bsky.social, on @npr.org: www.npr.org/2025/10/04/n...npr.orgThe image Saudi Arabia hopes to achieve beyond the comedy festivalSaudi Arabia is working to reshape its global cultural image, but controversies over several acts in its comedy festival tied to the country's human rights record are underscoring the tension between ... 121
Reposted by Andrew M LeberMonica Marks @monicamarks.bsky.social · 04/10/2025Two especially good bits ⬇️ What @andrewleber.bsky.social’s analysis captures, that much discourse around “-washing” events in the Gulf & beyond often neglects, are these domestic drivers. Not everything is done solely, or mainly, for an international gaze. Some risks are taken despite that gaze. 2121
Reposted by Andrew M LeberDan "Mr. Bones and Me" Greene @dmgreene.bsky.social · 03/10/2025Dwayne has his job back because we organized for it. We fight or we die. Join AAUP today www.aaup.org/joinaaup.orgJoinJoining the AAUP says that you’re concerned about academic freedom, and about the way that basic freedom protects your teaching and research. Join today. 3443160
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 03/10/2025I looked at the domestic drivers of the Riyadh Comedy Festival for @carnegieendowment.org carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...carnegieendowment.orgThe Riyadh Comedy Festival Isn’t Trying to Change Your Opinion of Saudi ArabiaThe driving forces are domestic. 151
Reposted by Andrew M LeberChanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 03/10/2025🚨🚨 My dear friend and fellow academic, the Palestinian American sociologist @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social has been taken by the Cook County Sheriff near Chicago. They have not mirandized her. Please signal boost. All eyes on Broadview for Eman and the community she was defending 🚨🚨 1614861119
Andrew M Leber @andrewleber.bsky.social · 01/10/2025Speaking tomorrow with Elias Muhanna at Brown University on a panel about Gulf-monarchy "giga-projects," for anybody interested in stopping by. events.brown.edu/middle-east/...events.brown.eduGiga-Projects: Envisioned Communities in the Age of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030”The webinar hosted by Elias Muhanna, director of the Center for Middle East Studies, will be focused on megaprojects like NEOM, the Red Sea Project... 030