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  • Policy Analysis
    Democracy and Governance

    Prospects for Democratic Change in the Arab World in 2020

    Jan 14, 2020Imad K. Harb Sahar Khamis Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Laurie King Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub

    ACW analysts and academic board members discuss the prospects of the 2019 public protests in several countries of the Arab world and how technology is poised t…

  • From our Affiliates
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Turkey’s Growing Role in Libya: Motives, Background, and Responses

    Jan 9, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    There are fears that external interventions in Libya may prolong its conflict and threaten the future and territorial integrity of the country. Read this analy…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    Soleimani’s Assassination Backfires Big Time

    Jan 7, 2020Daniel Brumberg

    Washington’s killing of Qassem Soleimani violates the red lines that the United States and Iran had previously respected in order to avoid escalation, and make…

  • Viewpoint
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    The Coming American Defeat in Iraq

    Jan 6, 2020Marina Ottaway

    The vote by Iraq’s Parliament to force the withdrawal of American troops from the country marks the beginning of the end of the 2003 US intervention.

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Is Turkey Playing with Fire in Libya?

    Jan 6, 2020Mustafa Gurbuz

    Turkish troops aim to buttress Libya's Government of National Accord, but escalating tensions in the Mediterranean may actually harm both Ankara and Tripoli.

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance

    Repressing Criticism of Israel in the United States: Trump’s Executive Order

    Jan 3, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    In the long term, Trump’s executive order conflating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is another effort to silence the debate in the United States on Israel’s p…

  • Viewpoint
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    A Middle East Calamity Is about to Unfold

    Jan 3, 2020Imad K. Harb

    Killing Soleimani has put the Middle East at the edge of a dangerous abyss and hastened an inevitable confrontation between the United States and Iran.

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The Libya-Turkey Memorandum of Understanding: Local and Regional Repercussions

    Jan 2, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    The signing of the Libyan-Turkish memorandum of understanding on maritime sovereignty in the Eastern Mediterranean has coincided with increased tensions both w…

  • Viewpoint
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    The Khashoggi Verdict: Whitewashing a Murder

    Dec 26, 2019Imad K. Harb

    Saudi Arabia's reputation remains on the line despite the whitewashing and the convoluted twists of Khashoggi’s killing. For now, at least, in Jamal’s case “ju…

  • Policy Analysis
    Democracy and Governance

    The MENA Region’s Uphill Struggle against Corruption

    Dec 20, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    In the Middle East and well beyond, 2019 has been a year of mass public protest and street mobilization. The region is seizing with disorganized and open disco…

  • Policy Analysis
    Protests and Activism

    From the Arab Spring to—What, Exactly? 2011 and 2019 Compared

    Dec 20, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    Significant differences between the Arab Spring protests of 2011 and the upheaval sweeping the region today are signs of things to come in the Arab world.

  • From our Affiliates
    AlgeriaDemocracy and Governance

    Could the Presidential Elections Constitute a Milestone for Algeria?

    Dec 18, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    Tebboune’s presidential test in the coming months will be in his ability to gain the confidence of Algerians in general, and the popular movement in particular.

  • Policy Analysis
    IranRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The United States and Iran Readjust to New Realities in Iraq and Lebanon

    Dec 18, 2019Joe Macaron

    After 15 years of rivalry in Iraq and Lebanon, the United States and Iran are adjusting their policies based on a new reality of popular uprisings that challen…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    The Trump Administration Tries a New Policy in Libya

    Dec 18, 2019Gregory Aftandilian

    Washington is now firmly pressing Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar to stop his offensive on Tripoli and allow for a negotiated settlement with the GNA. With so …

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Burgeoning Arab-Israeli Normalization? Not Quite What You Think

    Dec 11, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Efforts to normalize relations between Arab leaders and Israel will continue to collide with the overwhelming rejection of normalization by the peoples of the …

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantUS Foreign Policy

    Washington Grapples with How to Respond to Turbulent Middle East

    Dec 11, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery examines the administration’s reassessment of its posture in the Middle East as officials grappled this week with how best to use military as…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCC

    GCC Reconciliation Is Coming, but Pesky Issues Remain

    Dec 8, 2019Imad K. Harb

    A limited reconciliation between parties to the GCC crisis is likely to take place during the upcoming summit in Riyadh. However, certain thorny and serious po…

  • Viewpoint
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCC

    Challenges to Resolving the GCC Crisis

    Dec 4, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Khalil E. Jahshan discusses the challenges inherent in a reconciliation between Qatar and the neighboring countries that embargoed it and precipitated the unse…

  • Policy Analysis
    SyriaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Syria’s Problems Worsen While UN Efforts Fail

    Dec 4, 2019Radwan Ziadeh

    Syria’s deteriorating economic conditions and the failure of UN-sponsored discussions about a constitutional document indicate that the Syrian people will cont…

  • Policy Analysis
    AlgeriaDemocracy and Governance

    Algeria’s Upcoming Elections Are Not the End of the Road

    Dec 3, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The military-imposed presidential election in Algeria should not deter the protesters from pressing on with their demand for radical political and economic cha…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranDemocracy and Governance

    Is Iran on the Edge of a Precipice?

    Nov 27, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    Daniel Brumberg questions whether the latest protests in Iran will produce a wider political movement, one that has the support of an urban professional and bu…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqDemocracy and Governance

    With Iraq’s Mounting Chaos Spreading, Time for a US Policy Reboot

    Nov 27, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    Charles W. Dunne argues that in light of Iraq’s current crisis, the United States must take bold steps to help stabilize the country, enhance anti-corruption a…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    The Conflict in Libya Resurfaces on Washington’s Agenda

    Nov 27, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery discusses the renewed interest in both Congress and the Trump Administration to address the ongoing conflict in Libya and asks whether the Un…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Closer Egyptian-Russian Relations Causing a Headache in Washington

    Nov 26, 2019Gregory Aftandilian

    Gregory Aftandilian states that US officials are warning Egypt not to move ahead with the purchase of advanced Russian jet fighters; however, developing ties b…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance

    Desperate Netanyahu Pulls out All the Stops

    Nov 26, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    A desperate Netanyahu will use all tools in a demagogue’s box, including racist incitement against the Palestinians, in order to remain politically alive—or at…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    US Policy Reversal on Israeli Settlements

    Nov 21, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Khalil E. Jahshan believes that the Trump Administration’s policy reversal about Israeli settlements is an overture to the president’s evangelical supporters a…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelInternational Law

    Israel’s Arguments for the Legality of Settlements under International Law

    Nov 21, 2019Jonathan Kuttab

    Jonathan Kuttab lists Israel’s repeated arguments about its illegal settlements on the West Bank and rebuts them by referencing the Geneva Conventions and inte…

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonProtests and Activism

    The Lebanese Uprising: No End in Sight for the Current Impasse

    Nov 20, 2019Joe Macaron

    Joe Macaron explains the different factors of the current impasse between the Lebanese ruling political class and the protesters, seeing no end in sight for th…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqProtests and Activism

    Will Iraq’s Protests Lead to Radical Change?

    Nov 18, 2019Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Imad K. Harb

    The ongoing protests in Iraq indicate that the country’s youth, who are overwhelmingly Shia, have become disillusioned with status quo politics of control by I…

  • From our Affiliates
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCC

    Is a resolution of the GCC crisis imminent?

    Nov 18, 2019Ibrahim Fraihat

    Ibrahim Fraihat argues that the September 14 attack on Aramco has had a significant effect on Riyadh and has forced Saudi Arabia to revise its policies toward …

  • From our Affiliates
    YemenRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The Riyadh Agreement on Yemen: Arrangements and Chances of Success

    Nov 18, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    The Riyadh Agreement’s success will depend in large part on the local parties’ conviction that it serves their purposes at this time more than continued war do…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Presidential Candidates Open to Leveraging American Support for Israel

    Nov 12, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Yousef Munayyer says that some Democratic candidates for president may be open to taking concrete steps to decrease American complicity in Israel's abuses and …

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonIdentity Politics and Sectarianization

    The Battle to Defeat Confessional Politics in Lebanon and Beyond

    Nov 11, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    Daniel Brumberg writes that despite demands for radical change, no force or group inside or outside Lebanon can predict what will happen if the country tries t…

  • From our Affiliates
    Religion and Politics

    Modernity and the Mechanisms of Moral Neutralisation

    Nov 8, 2019Azmi Bishara

    Azmi Bishara’s introduction to the Arabic edition of Zygmunt Bauman’s Modernity and the Holocaust (1989).

  • Policy Analysis
    AlgeriaProtests and Activism

    Protests in the Arab World: The Second Wave

    Nov 8, 2019Marina Ottaway

    Marina Ottaway argues that protesters in Algeria, Sudan, Lebanon, and Iraq appear to be more sophisticated than those of the 2011 uprisings and understand that…

  • Policy Analysis
    SyriaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Russia’s Gains in Syria Could Be a Blessing in Disguise

    Nov 6, 2019Joe Macaron

    Joe Macaron argues that while Russia may fill the vacuum left by the withdrawal of American troops from the Turkish-Syrian border, it could have challenges dea…

  • Policy Analysis
    SyriaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The Russia-Turkey Deal for Syria Will Go Nowhere

    Nov 5, 2019Mustafa Gurbuz

    Mustafa Gurbuz analyzes the problems in implementing the initial phase of the latest Turkish-Russian agreement in Syria, concluding they indicate that the deal…

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonDemocracy and Governance

    The Catch-22 of Lebanese Reform

    Nov 5, 2019Nabeel A. Khoury

    Nabeel Khoury discusses the Lebanese leadership’s catch-22 dilemma resulting from the influence of entrenched parties and their militias as they confront the l…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    The Limited Utility of the Iran Sanctions

    Nov 4, 2019Kenneth Katzman

    Kenneth Katzman writes that a range of observations and data support the assertion that to date, the Trump Administration’s maximum pressure campaign against I…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    2020 Election Issues

    Nov 1, 2019Imad K. Harb

    While presidential elections in the United States depend to a great degree on the personalities of the Republican and Democratic candidates, each election has …

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Trump’s Chances in the 2020 Presidential Election: Will Americans Reelect Trump?

    Nov 1, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Although a year is a long time in American politics, at least in conventional electoral terms, many political analysts, pollsters and pundits are already hard …

  • Viewpoint
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    Putting al-Baghdadi’s Demise in Perspective

    Oct 30, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Khalil E. Jahshan looks at the deeper meaning of the United States’ killing of IS leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi and doubts if his demise will portend the end of …

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonDemocracy and Governance

    The Lebanon Uprising: Causes and Ramifications

    Oct 24, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    Lebanon’s protests have been unique and inclusive and are united by a wish to topple the ruling political class and abandon the system of sectarian power-shari…

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonDemocracy and Governance

    Radical Reform or Total Chaos for Lebanon?

    Oct 22, 2019Nabeel A. Khoury

    Nabeel Khouri argues that it is clear that radical reform in Lebanon is what stands between a safe and gradual transition to an accountable government, on the …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantMigrants, Refugees, and IDPs

    Trump’s Syria Decision and the Damage to US Foreign Policy

    Oct 22, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    The fallout from President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision on October 6 to order US troops to stand aside as Turkey launched a long-planned incursion into north…

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaDemocracy and Governance

    The Tunisian Elections: Surprise Results and Challenges Ahead

    Oct 21, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    Tunisia after its elections will be ruled by a governmental coalition the nature of which will depend on the relationship between the new president and the new…

  • Viewpoint
    LebanonDemocracy and Governance

    Lebanon’s Protests Cannot Be Ignored

    Oct 18, 2019Imad K. Harb

    Imad K. Harb writes that Lebanon’s current protests are a reminder that the Arab Spring is alive and well and that Lebanese politicians have no choice but to h…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    By Electing Kais Saied, Tunisians Recast Their National Politics

    Oct 17, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    The Tunisian electorate has handed the independent candidate Kais Saied a huge victory. With 73 percent of the vote against Nabil Karoui’s 27 percent, he now h…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Turkish Military Operation in Northeastern Syria: Scope, Aims and Reactions

    Oct 17, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    Turkey seems to be in a hurry to achieve its operational goals before pressure increases to bring the operation to an end or in order to pre-empt any operation…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    There Will Be a One-State Solution But What Kind of State Will It Be?

    Oct 17, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    For nearly three decades, the so-called two-state solution has dominated discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the idea of two states for two pe…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Abbas Calls for Elections, but Will They Be Held?

    Oct 16, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Yousef Munayyer discounts the possibility of holding new Palestinian presidential and legislative elections despite the parties’ repeated assertions that they …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    How Turkey’s ‘Peace Spring’ changed the dynamics of Syria’s war

    Oct 15, 2019Marwan Kabalan

    Turkey's military action on Syria will have consequences far beyond the 'safe zone' it is trying to establish.

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Trump’s Syria Decision and the Turkish Operation

    Oct 10, 2019Radwan Ziadeh

    Without American forces on the ground, Washington will not be able to realize its objectives in Syria, especially in confronting the Iran-affiliated militias t…

  • Policy Analysis
    Security and Defense

    Trump Puts His Stamp on a Generational Shift at the Pentagon

    Oct 9, 2019Joe Macaron

    As Trump backs away from US commitments in the Middle East, a new generation of Pentagon leadership is being tested in how to navigate war and peace decisions …

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Confusion in Turkey’s Regional Foreign Policy

    Oct 8, 2019Mustafa Gurbuz

    Turkish foreign policy choices in Syria, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia are plagued with contradictions that may lead to self-defeating outcomes.

  • Viewpoint
    IraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization

    Iraq’s Cruel Killings Will Not Stop Mass Protests

    Oct 8, 2019Imad K. Harb

    Protests have again rocked Iraq’s streets as thousands of young people voiced their opposition to rampant corruption and sectarian politics. While the demonstr…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Palestinian Arab Vote in Israel: Mere Protest or Significant Influence?

    Oct 2, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Khalil E. Jahshan writes that until Israeli Jewish society undergoes serious change and accepts the Arab parties into the political process, the role of Palest…

  • Policy Analysis
    AlgeriaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Algeria’s Standoff between Protesters and the Regime

    Oct 2, 2019Gregory Aftandilian

    There is a dangerous standoff in Algeria between the protesters, who are demanding regime change, and the military establishment, which wants to maintain the s…

  • Policy Analysis
    Security and Defense

    A Balance Sheet on America’s “War on Terror” in the Middle East

    Oct 2, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    Although al-Qaeda and the Islamic State may have lost much of their ability to mount major mass-casualty attacks in the United States and Europe, splinter grou…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Congress and the 2020 Elections

    Oct 1, 2019Marcus Montgomery

    The highly anticipated 2020 US elections are garnering great attention because they will determine whether or not President Donald Trump remains in the White H…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    Evangelicals and the 2020 Elections

    Oct 1, 2019Jonathan Kuttab

    Evangelical Americans constitute one of the largest voting blocs in the United States. They number about 74 million, or about 22.5 percent of a population of c…

  • Viewpoint
    IraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Disturbing Developments in Iraq’s Security Establishments

    Oct 1, 2019Abdulwahab Al-Qassab

    Interference by Iran and Iraqi political groups in the functioning of the Iraqi armed forces and security services has resulted in deteriorating discipline amo…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Learning to Say “No” To Saudi Arabia on Iran and Yemen

    Sep 25, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    Daniel Brumberg writes that against the background of the White House’s escalating conflict with Tehran, Washington seems unwilling or unable to break its habi…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    Israeli Election Do-Over Yields Similar Results

    Sep 25, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    This Israeli election, like the one before it, has largely been about Benjamin Netanyahu himself and not his policies. Yousef Munayyer considers the possible s…

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaDemocracy and Governance

    Presidential Elections in Tunisia: Reading the First Round Results

    Sep 25, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    The results of the first round of the 2019 presidential elections in Tunisia represent an early crisis for a regime marked by the fragmentation of the party ma…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Pompeo’s Rising Influence in the Trump Administration

    Sep 24, 2019Joe Macaron

    Having outlasted many of his colleagues, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the most connected official in Trump’s inner circle. But what is the extent of his i…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptDemocracy and Governance

    Egypt’s Protests: A Sign the Arab Spring Is Alive

    Sep 24, 2019Imad K. Harb

    Although the protests today are unlike those that garnered millions at public squares in 2011, the struggle of the Egyptian people against repression remains a…

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaDemocracy and Governance

    Tunisia’s Presidential Election: Populism Rules the Day

    Sep 20, 2019Radwan Ziadeh Imad K. Harb

    Tunisia’s presidential election shows the democratic transition moving apace, although Tunisians are shunning political parties and elites who failed to improv…

  • External Readings
    LevantDemocracy and Governance

    Israel after Netanyahu?

    Sep 19, 2019Marwan Bishara

    No leader of a national unity government in Israel will be willing, let alone capable of, taking any serious step towards peace

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Libya’s Stalemate Could Lead to Dreaded Partition

    Sep 17, 2019Imad K. Harb

    While domestic competition and outside intervention are fueling the dangerous Libyan conflict, General Haftar’s challenge to the GNA and rejection of UN mediat…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Netanyahu’s Annexation Promises: Electioneering or Actual Plan?

    Sep 17, 2019Yousef Munayyer

    Even if Netanyahu does not become the next prime minister of Israel, his ideas, including annexation, are likely to govern and shape Israeli politics for years…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Attacks on Saudi Oil Installations are a Game Changer

    Sep 17, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan Kristian Coates Ulrichsen Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Joe Macaron Imad K. Harb

    The latest attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations are a game changer in Saudi domestic politics and in regional and international affairs.

  • Viewpoint
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Trump Fires Bolton Over Policy Disagreements: The Middle East Reacts

    Sep 16, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    Observing the Trump presidency is a dizzying process that leaves one in a constant state of perplexity, frantically groping for the most accessible rational ex…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Iraq’s Dilemma: The Uncertain Future of the Popular Mobilization Forces

    Sep 13, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)

    Although Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces were instrumental in defeating the Islamic State, their political influence has had a profound impact on the future…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The US Decision to Disengage from the Syrian Crisis

    Sep 11, 2019Radwan Ziadeh

    With Syrian and Russian forces aggravating the situation in northern Syria, President Erdoğan needs to protect Turkish interests in Syria and himself against d…

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Assessing the Latest Conflagrations between Israel and Hezbollah

    Sep 11, 2019Joe Macaron

    The latest conflagrations between Israel and Hezbollah were an attempt to dictate new rules of engagement. Nevertheless, both sides appear to be committed to t…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Adiós, Jason: The Resignation of Jason Greenblatt

    Sep 6, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan

    The sudden resignation of Jason Greenblatt, a key architect of the Kushner Middle East peace plan, is apt to further diminish the prospects of its success.

  • Policy Analysis
    IranSecurity and Defense

    Is an American-Iranian Dialogue Coming?

    Sep 4, 2019Daniel Brumberg

    Daniel Brumberg writes that with increasing tensions in the Middle East and the strengthening position of Iranian hard-liners, Rouhani and Zarif might have mor…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    A Crumbling Saudi-Emirati Alliance in Yemen May Change US Gulf Policy

    Sep 4, 2019Charles W. Dunne

    The UAE's backing of Yemen’s southern separatists has angered Saudi Arabia and helped lead to a reevaluation of American policy toward the conflict. More volat…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    The Role of the Electoral College in Electing the American President

    Sep 1, 2019Imad K. Harb

    The United States is understood to be a democratic republic whose constitution protects the individual’s right to choose his/her representatives, from the loca…

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