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The Arab WorldUS Foreign PolicyWashington Doubles Down on Middle East Ties
Feb 15, 2023Charles W. DunneReducing US commitments in the Middle East and pivoting to Asia has been a hot topic among foreign policy analysts and Middle East experts since the idea was p…
- Policy Analysis
AlgeriaUS Foreign PolicyUS-Algeria Relations Remain Troubled, but Neither Side Wants a Break
Jan 25, 2023Gregory AftandilianRelations between Washington and Algiers have remained at a low point ever since the Trump administration, in its last month in office, recognized Moroccan sov…
- Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldUS Foreign PolicyThe Biden Administration and the Middle East in 2023
Jan 4, 2023Khalil Al-Anani Yara M. Asi Amal Ghazal Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe first two years of the Biden administration, although short, have offered insight into the ways in which the reality of governing can clash with declared h…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe Gordian Knot: A Bird’s Eye View of US-Israel Relations
Dec 20, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryNabeel Khoury takes a broad view of American-Israeli relations, highlighting the issue of robust US military aid to Israel and intelligence sharing between the…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyWhat Lies Ahead for Saudi Arabia in the 118th US Congress
Dec 7, 2022Charles W. DunneNew challenges abound for President Joe Biden in 2023. The loss of a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress promises to lea…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Domestic Politics and ElectionsThe US Midterm Elections Spell Further Trouble for the JCPOA
Dec 2, 2022Douglas ChristensenIn November, Americans went to the polls to cast their votes in the congressional midterm elections. In the end, voters dealt a major blow to Republican party …
- Policy Analysis
EgyptJustice, Equality, and Human RightsCongress Versus Biden on Foreign Assistance to Egypt
Nov 1, 2022Charles W. DunneThe Egypt Human Rights Caucus would like a word with President Joe Biden. The group, which was formed in January 2021 on the 10th anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 u…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaUS Foreign PolicyBiden’s Syria Policy: Steady Non-commitment and Persistent Failure
Sep 20, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryThe Biden administration’s Syria policy, as well as its policy for the Middle East in general, stems from priorities and practices set in place during the eigh…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyNo Plan B for the US as Geostrategic Shifts Threaten to Scuttle Iran Nuclear Deal
Sep 20, 2022Daniel BrumbergWhat a difference a few days can make in the Middle East. On August 28 National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby addressed the diplomatic maneuvering t…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyGauging Gulf Responses to President Biden’s Middle East Diplomacy
Aug 31, 2022Jon HoffmanWhen examining how the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) perceived and reacted to US President Joe Biden’s July visit to the Middle East, the Gulf …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelReligion and PoliticsAmerican Evangelicals, the Gulf States, and Israel: A Cynical Covenant
Aug 24, 2022Mimi KirkEach July, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States, holds a multi-day conference that culminates in a day…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsComparing the Palestinian and Irish-Catholic Struggles
Aug 18, 2022Daoud KuttabDaoud Kuttab compares Irish and Palestinian experiences with occupation and settlement, building on a remark made by President Biden during his July 2022 trip …
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyBiden Fails to Counter Russia and China in the Middle East
Aug 17, 2022Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne writes that President Biden’s July 2022 trip to the Middle East to reassert American supremacy in the region and among US allies ran into the …
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyBiden’s Embrace of Arab Autocrats Ends Hopes for Democracy in the Middle East
Aug 10, 2022Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani writes that President Biden’s recent meetings with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE sent a clear message to the world’s authorit…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyUS Diplomacy with Iran Is Needed to Achieve Security in the Middle East
Jul 28, 2022Daniel BrumbergNow that President Joe Biden has completed his trip to the Middle East, his administration will likely make one last bid to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, …
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyMohammed bin Salman’s Political Precarity Persists, Despite Perceived Successes
Jul 26, 2022Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe paths of US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) crossed briefly on July 15 and 16 when Biden stopped in Jeddah, Saudi Arab…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyBiden’s Trip to the Middle East Failed to Serve US Interests
Jul 22, 2022Jon HoffmanWith President Joe Biden concluding his Middle East visit, many in the United States are left wondering what tangible benefits the American people gained as a …
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyReflections on President Biden’s Predictably Disappointing Middle East Trip
US President Joe Biden visited Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia from July 13 to 16 to meet with various regional leaders. This was Biden’s first visit as pr…
- Policy Analysis
US Domestic Politics and ElectionsDemocratic Congressional Primaries Will Impact US Middle East Policy
Jul 6, 2022Marcus MontgomeryPresident Joe Biden is only months away from his first midterm election as commander in chief, and with many analysts projecting potentially historic losses fo…
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyBiden’s Trip to the Middle East: What Is in Store?
Jun 23, 2022Charles W. DunnePresident Joe Biden has finally scheduled his first trip to the Middle East as chief executive. The visit, which was postponed from June to July 13-16 because …
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyThe Biden Administration Is Struggling to Develop a Middle East Strategy
Jun 10, 2022Daniel BrumbergDespite the declining capacity of the United States to shape the Middle East’s strategic architecture, it is unlikely that effective regional solutions to secu…
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyThe Middle East’s Well-Documented Human Rights Abuses Have Little Impact on US Policy
Jun 7, 2022Charles W. DunneOn April 12, the US Department of State released its annual country reports on human rights. The reports are a key resource for human rights scholars and gover…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and GeopoliticsMiddle East Leaders Contend with Strains in an Evolving Regional Entente
May 13, 2022Daniel BrumbergIn its unfolding bid to expand ties with Middle East governments, Israel must grapple with a basic challenge: how to ensure that events in the Palestinian-Isra…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyIsrael and the US Visa Waiver Program: Not a Done Deal
May 12, 2022Yousef MunayyerIsrael has long sought entry into the United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP) with limited success, despite years of efforts and the close strategic and bilate…
- Policy Analysis
The War in UkraineThe Water’s Edge: Ukraine, the United States, and the Middle East
Mar 30, 2022Charles W. Dunne“Politics must stop at the water’s edge,” Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg famously asserted in1947, as he helped Democratic President Harry S. Truman lay …
- Policy Analysis
YemenUS Foreign PolicyYemen: The Failure of International Diplomacy
Mar 3, 2022Nabeel A. KhouryThe latest escalation in Yemen, particularly the cross-border rocket fire by the Ansar Allah militia (the Houthis) and the retaliatory aerial bombardment by th…
- Policy Analysis
QatarUS Foreign PolicyQatar’s New Designation as US Non-NATO Ally Serves Multiple Purposes
Feb 4, 2022Imad K. HarbLess than five years after the eruption of the Gulf crisis of June 2017 that seriously threatened Qatar’s security, President Joe Biden designated the Gulf Ara…
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyBiden’s Non-Doctrine in the Middle East: One Year On
Jan 27, 2022Daniel BrumbergTo understand the actual forces shaping US foreign policy, it is imperative to put aside the alluring but misleading notion that a “doctrine” provides a useful…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Abbas-Gantz Encounter: Much Ado about Nothing in the Middle East
Jan 18, 2022Khalil E. JahshanOn December 28, 2021, a surprising development took place in the Middle East: Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas held a rare meeting in Israel,…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsUkraine’s Geostrategic Tremors Reach into the Middle East
Jan 13, 2022Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg disentangles the complications arising from the current tensions between Ukraine and Russia and their impact on US-Russian relations as well as…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyBiden and the Israeli Settlement Elephant in the Room
Jan 5, 2022Yousef MunayyerOne of Barack Obama’s first acts as president was to create the position of envoy for “Middle East peace.” George Mitchell, whom the president named for this p…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyUS-Palestinian Economic Talks Serve Israeli Interests
Dec 29, 2021Jonathan KuttabThe recent resumption of discussions about economic ties between the US government and the Palestinian Authority (PA) after a five-year hiatus must be understo…
- Policy Analysis
YemenUS Foreign PolicyHouthi Intransigence Is Changing the US View of the Conflict in Yemen
Dec 21, 2021Gregory AftandilianA combination of offensive military actions by the Houthi rebels and stalled peace talks to try to end the civil war in Yemen have changed the way the United S…
- Policy Analysis
Democracy and GovernanceBiden’s Summit for Democracy Ignored the Middle East
Dec 15, 2021Charles W. DunneThe Biden Administration’s recent Summit for Democracy should be regarded as a modest success, fulfilling a campaign promise by President Joe Biden and decisiv…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyHigh Stakes at the Vienna Nuclear Talks with Iran
Dec 8, 2021Daniel BrumbergThe ongoing indirect US-Iran negotiations in Vienna on the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have thus far made little progress. Already…
- Viewpoint
Democracy and GovernanceIs Biden Serious about His Summit for Democracy?
Dec 6, 2021Khalil E. JahshanSince his inauguration on January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden has been hinting at a renewed focus on democracy by his administration to reverse the dismal re…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptUS Foreign PolicyAgreements and Tensions in US-Egyptian Relations
Dec 2, 2021Sahar KhamisThe US-Egypt strategic dialogue was held in Washington, DC in early November between Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his American counterpart, Secre…
- Policy Analysis
SudanUS Foreign PolicyBiden’s Chameleon-like Policy in the MENA Region
Nov 3, 2021Imad K. HarbHaving invested time, effort, and treasure in helping to sustain the 2019 political agreement between the Sudanese military and the civilian Forces of Freedom …
- Policy Analysis
Justice, Equality, and Human RightsA “Crisis of Relevance”: UN Failures in the MENA Region
Oct 5, 2021Yara M. AsiOn September 21, 2021, in front of the same green marble tile where many of his predecessors and other prominent world leaders have spoken, US President Joe Bi…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSouthwestern Syria Tests US-Russia Cooperation
Sep 22, 2021Joe MacaronThe US-Russian agreement of July 2017 that led to a fragile stability in southwestern Syria has recently unraveled, testing President Joe Biden’s approach in S…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyUS-Israel Relations: Time for a Reset or Reevaluation?
Sep 8, 2021Yousef MunayyerAs Israel’s prime minister for nearly 12 years in a row, Benjamin Netanyahu greatly shaped the US-Israel relationship in recent history. After his exit from th…
- Policy Analysis
US Foreign PolicyHumanitarian Lessons from a Century of Conflict in the Middle East
Aug 26, 2021Yara M. AsiFor most of the past 20 years, the heavy presence of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan remained in the backdrop of public discourse. While some poli…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonEnergy and EconomicsLebanon’s Energy Crisis Fuels US-Iran Tensions
Aug 25, 2021Joe MacaronIn the midst of an economic collapse and an energy crisis, Lebanon has found itself in a tug of war between the United States and Iran. On August 19, Hezbollah…
- Viewpoint
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and DefenseAfter Afghanistan, a New Biden Middle East Doctrine Takes Shape
Aug 19, 2021Imad K. HarbIf there are lessons to be learned from the disastrous end of the American war in Afghanistan, they would be most applicable to the countries of the Arab Middl…
- Viewpoint
US Foreign PolicyA Tale of Two Donalds: Rumsfeld and Trump
Jul 28, 2021Laurie KingIn late June, a long forgotten name popped up in news broadcasts: former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had died at the age of 88 after enjoying a cha…
- Viewpoint
SyriaUS Foreign PolicyRearranging American Priorities in Syria
Jul 27, 2021Radwan ZiadehOn July 17, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad took his oath of office in front of parliament after winning the presidential election with 95 percent of the popu…
- Policy Analysis
JordanUS Foreign PolicyKing Abdullah Visits Washington amid Jordan’s Woes
Jul 14, 2021Gregory AftandilianKing Abdullah II’s upcoming meetings with President Joe Biden on July 19, and subsequently with leading members of Congress, come at a time when the Hashemite …
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelArab Americans/ Muslim AmericansThe Changing Arab American Activism for Palestine in the United States
Jul 12, 2021Hani J. BawardiAdvocacy for Palestine in the United States has entered a new phase, given the higher level of veracity social media injected into coverage of the latest Israe…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and GeopoliticsMoroccan Normalization with Israel: Temporary Deal or Permanent Peace?
Jul 8, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn June 16, 2021, King Mohammed VI of Morocco sent a congratulatory letter to Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett. This might not have been surprising…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyRaisi’s Election Creates Opportunities and Pitfalls for Iran’s Islamic Republic
Jun 25, 2021Daniel BrumbergIn the weeks leading up to Iran’s June 18 presidential elections, one joke making the rounds was that Ebrahim Raisi, then a candidate and now the winner, was r…
- Policy Analysis
Regional Relations and GeopoliticsUS-Russian Cooperation in the Middle East after the Biden-Putin Summit
Jun 24, 2021Joe MacaronThe June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was meant to defuse tensions between the United States and Russia, …
- Policy Analysis
YemenUS Foreign PolicyAttaining the Difficult Peace in Yemen
Jun 9, 2021Gregory AftandilianAfter displaying some optimism about reaching a cease-fire and peace deal in Yemen, the Biden Administration is facing the stark reality that these objectives …
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyA Tough Nut to Crack: Rebalancing the US-Saudi Relationship
Jun 2, 2021Charles W. DunneOut on the campaign trail in 2019, presidential candidate Joe Biden made it clear that when it came to a principled US foreign policy, he intended to be the an…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaDemocracy and GovernanceSyria’s Presidential Election and the Absence of the American Role
Jun 1, 2021Radwan ZiadehOn May 26, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth seven-year term in a practically uncontested election. No one was surprised by the original announceme…
- Policy Analysis
SyriaUS Foreign PolicyThe Biden Administration and the GCC Rapprochement with Damascus
May 27, 2021Joe MacaronWith Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on his way to a fourth term in the Syrian presidential election held this week, Moscow is expected to resume its diplomat…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human RightsThe Time Has Come for an American Change on Israel
May 20, 2021Imad K. HarbPresident Joe Biden has finally uttered the magic word of cease-fire in a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they discussed the o…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyUS Foreign PolicyThe Path to Armenian Genocide Recognition: A Lesson for Palestine Activists?
May 6, 2021Gregory AftandilianThe century-old struggle by the Armenian American community for US recognition that the large-scale massacres and deportations of their people in the Ottoman E…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyThe Israeli Factor in the US-Iran Nuclear Talks
May 6, 2021Joe MacaronAs US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel on April 11, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency orchestrated a mysterious explosion in Iran’s Natanz …
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyThe United States Ends its Combat Role in Iraq
Apr 26, 2021Gregory AftandilianAt the recent meeting of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue, negotiators decided to end the combat mission of US troops engaged in the fight against remnants of th…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyWill the Natanz Incident Produce Maximum Diplomacy?
Apr 23, 2021Daniel BrumbergJust two days after what appeared to be an Israeli-backed sabotage of Iran’s Natanz enrichment facilities, The Washington Post’s editorial board declared that …
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyBiden’s Apparent Failure on Israel-Palestine
Apr 13, 2021Imad K. HarbPresident Joe Biden’s 100-day milestone is approaching with pronounced successes in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, righting the ship of the American econom…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyCongressional Advocacy for Palestinian Rights in the Post-Trump Era
Apr 2, 2021Yousef MunayyerFor nearly 15 years, a partisan divide around the US-Israel relationship has been exacerbated in American politics. It became clear and consistent during the O…
- Policy Analysis
JordanUS Foreign PolicyJordan’s Monarchy Reclaims Regional Role under Biden
Mar 25, 2021Joe MacaronTo describe the last four years as challenging ones for US-Jordanian relations would be an understatement. President Donald Trump’s absolute support for Israel…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyHard-liners Fight for Iran’s Presidency and Foreign Policy
Mar 17, 2021Daniel BrumbergFormer US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, who during the Obama Administration played a pivotal role in negotiating the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, recently asserted…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign PolicyThe Biden Administration and the Palestinians: Early Policy Indications
Mar 9, 2021Yousef MunayyerThe new administration in Washington, about half way through its first 100 days in office, is shaping its foreign policy. President Joe Biden and his team have…
- Viewpoint
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyMohammed bin Salman in the Hot Seat
Feb 26, 2021Imad K. HarbThe Biden Administration’s release on February 26 of a declassified intelligence report implicating Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) in the assassi…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyThe US and Iran: From Brinkmanship to Negotiations?
Feb 25, 2021Daniel BrumbergIn his far-ranging February 21 interview with Iran’s Press TV, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated a bottom line: that Iran would step awa…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyThe Biden Administration Contemplates a New Pivot to Asia
Feb 23, 2021Charles W. DunneIs the pivot to Asia for real this time?That is one of the key questions Washington policy analysts, pundits, and diplomats are asking themselves as President …
