Abstract
Corruption remains one of the greatest stumbling blocks to good governance, human rights, and development in the Middle East and throughout the rest of the world. It is a symptom of fundamental economic and political problems that can become systemic when economic opportunities for it prevail and political will to combat it is lacking. When it is systemic—whereby a complex web of graft permeates the political, economic, and social spheres, impeding the basic provision of services to citizens—it can create conditions of social unrest and frustration, which may in turn lead to people seeking an outlet in factional and sectarian groups to provide for their basic needs. Corruption also creates an overall climate of impunity.2 Civil liberties groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Center for Victims of Torture, link corruption to repression and human rights violations, as it impedes government accountability, and can motivate officials and security forces to commit abuses for financial gain.3
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