![A man walks past near remains of burnt vehicles belonging to Iraqi security forces in the northern Iraq city of Mosul, June 13, 2014. A Sunni Islamist offensive threatening to dismember Iraq seemed to slow on Saturday after days of lightning advances as government forces reported regaining territory in counter-attacks, easing pressure on Baghdad's Shi'ite-led government. Picture taken June 13, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR3TR9S](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/06/RTR3TR9S.jpg/RTR3TR9S.jpg?h=e92c5d5c&itok=-Sdd29UF)
Clovis Maksoud is a former ambassador and permanent observer of the League of Arab States at the United Nations and its chief representative in the United States for more than 10 years.
![A man walks past near remains of burnt vehicles belonging to Iraqi security forces in the northern Iraq city of Mosul, June 13, 2014. A Sunni Islamist offensive threatening to dismember Iraq seemed to slow on Saturday after days of lightning advances as government forces reported regaining territory in counter-attacks, easing pressure on Baghdad's Shi'ite-led government. Picture taken June 13, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR3TR9S](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/06/RTR3TR9S.jpg/RTR3TR9S.jpg?h=e92c5d5c&itok=-Sdd29UF)
![Presidential candidate and Egypt's former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi talks during a television interview broadcast on CBC and ONTV, in Cairo, May 6, 2014. Sisi, who is expected to win a presidential election this month, said in a television interview broadcast on Tuesday that costly energy subsidies could not be lifted quickly. REUTERS/Al Youm Al Saabi Newspaper (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) EGYPT OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN EGYPT - RTR3OCB5](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/06/RTR3OCB5.jpg/RTR3OCB5.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=Mm_FKv9e)
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Clovis Maksoud
![A Palestinian protester throws a stone towards an Israeli military bulldozer during a protest against the Jewish settlement of Qadomem, near the West Bank City of Nablus May 2, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3NJYG](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/06/RTR3NJYG.jpg/RTR3NJYG.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=wdtZHn7A)
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Clovis Maksoud
![Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrives for a meeting with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at Miraflores Palace in Caracas May 16, 2014. Abbas is on an official visit to Venezuela. REUTERS/Jorge Silva (VENEZUELA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3PJG0](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTR3PJG0.jpg/RTR3PJG0.jpg?h=e92c5d5c&itok=nVGTuakI)
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Clovis Maksoud
![Pope Francis (3rd R) reviews the honour guard upon his arrival at Queen Alia International airport in Amman May 24, 2014. Pope Francis arrives in Jordan on Saturday to start an intense three-day trip to the Middle East, bringing hope to the dwindling Christian population and an appeal to members of all religions to work together for peace. REUTERS/Andrew Medichini/Pool (JORDAN - Tags: RELIGION) - RTR3QN4C](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTR3QN4C.jpg/RTR3QN4C.jpg?h=e92c5d5c&itok=kEdj9FT8)
![Clovis Maksoud](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=kaCIO5nW)
Clovis Maksoud
![Lebanon's Central Bank governor Riad Salameh gestures as he attends an interview with Reuters at the Lebanese Central Bank in Beirut September 16, 2013. Salameh said the stimulus plan had been vital to keeping Lebanon's economy growing at a rate which he estimated at between 2.0 and 2.25 percent this year, and additional support would be needed in 2014. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTX13NQT](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTX13NQT.jpg/RTX13NQT.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=D5zNtgI9)
![Clovis Maksoud](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=kaCIO5nW)
Clovis Maksoud
![Lebanese President Michel Sleiman (R) gestures beside Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai (L), in a celebration to solidify the reconciliation between Christians and Druze in Brih May 17, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR3PLSX](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTR3PLSX-1.jpg/RTR3PLSX-1.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=CTNqFr8y)
![Clovis Maksoud](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=kaCIO5nW)
Clovis Maksoud
![United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan (L) speaks to the media
with Lakhdar Brahimi (R), Special Representative of the Secretary
General for Afghanistan, as United States Secretary GEneral Colin
Powell looks on (Back R) folowing a high level "Six plus Two" meeting
at United Nations headquarters in New York, November 12, 2001. The
meeting was held between Foreign Ministers of the six countries
bordering Afghanistan as well as the United States and Russia to
discuss the current conflict in the region. RE](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTRPBRE.jpg/RTRPBRE.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=Mu-LxwEr)
![Clovis Maksoud](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=kaCIO5nW)
Clovis Maksoud
![A general view shows protesters during a demonstration in front of the Grand Serail in Beirut, May 14, 2014. Lebanese lawmakers say they hope to forge a deal on a public sector salary raise on Wednesday as the biggest in a series of protests by teachers and civil servants rallied outside parliament for what they called a "day of rage." REUTERS/Sharif Karim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT) - RTR3P2OG](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTR3P2OG.jpg/RTR3P2OG.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=uV12l4Wn)
![Clovis Maksoud](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=kaCIO5nW)
Clovis Maksoud
![Lebanese Member of Parliament Sethrida Geagea (bottom), wife of presidential candidate Samir Geagea, casts her vote to elect the new Lebanese president in the parliament building in downtown Beirut April 23, 2014. Lebanese parliamentarians failed to elect a new president in a first round of voting on Wednesday, with leading candidate Samir Geagea falling well short of the required two-thirds majority. REUTERS/Joseph Eid/Pool (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3MB3Q](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTR3MB3Q.jpg/RTR3MB3Q.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=TxtEIG72)
![Clovis Maksoud](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=kaCIO5nW)
Clovis Maksoud
![A masked Palestinian protester walks next to burning tyres during a weekly Friday protest against the Jewish settlement of Qadomem, near the West Bank City of Nablus April 25, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3MMQK](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/04/RTR3MMQK.jpg/RTR3MMQK.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=BzrbkZMe)
![Clovis Maksoud](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=kaCIO5nW)
Clovis Maksoud
![Members of the Lebanese Civil Defence stand in the sea near a Lebanese flag during a protest in Beirut April 9, 2014. Workers from public sectors went on strike on Wednesday to demand more rights. REUTERS/Sharif Karim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3KJCX](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/04/RTR3KJCX.jpg/RTR3KJCX.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=_T_N7RLn)
![Clovis Maksoud](https://www.al-monitor.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/authors/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg/clovis_maksoud_color.jpg?h=55541bb6&itok=kaCIO5nW)
Clovis Maksoud