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About

Afkār is a publication of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, providing short-form analyses, insights, and perspectives on regional issues and developments from the Council's experts and outside contributors. Afkār is published in English and Arabic, and is edited by Omar H. Rahman.

Contact us at afkar@mecouncil.org.

Sami Zoughaib

Economist and Research Manager, The Policy Initiative

Bio

Sami Zoughaib is an Economist and Research Manager at The Policy Initiative. His work at TPI focuses on Lebanon’s political economy, governance structures, macroeconomics, and local economic development. He previously led and worked on several research projects at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies focusing on international donor conferences, parliamentary elections, and monitoring legislative production and reform. Sami holds an MA in Public Policy from the University of Reading and a BA in Economics from the American University of Beirut.

Articles

Can Lebanon Disarm Hezbollah Without First Rebuilding the State?

Lebanon’s externally driven push to disarm Hezbollah reveals a deeper crisis of sovereignty, as the state lacks the legitimacy, institutional capacity, and public trust necessary to reclaim monopoly over force without risking deeper instability and communal backlash.