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The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionCurrent Competing Dynamics in the GCC Region
Jul 10, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe competing strategic dynamics of Gulf and other actors complicate the current crisis and make its resolution contingent upon sometimes divergent interests.
- Policy Analysis
US Domestic Politics and ElectionsWhen Friends Spy on Friends: A US Spy Tool Could Spell Trouble for the Middle East Under Trump
Jul 5, 2017Marcus MontgomeryFISA Section 702 is an often debated topic, but now there are serious concerns about how US spying will affect Middle Eastern countries under President Trump
- Policy Analysis
Democracy and GovernanceA Case for Human Rights and Democracy in US Middle East Policy
Jul 5, 2017Charles W. DunneAmerican advocacy of human rights has helped defend US security in the long term, stabilize US allies and the international system, and build the moral capital…
- Policy Analysis
QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAbsent Rationality in the GCC Crisis
Jul 5, 2017Imad K. HarbDevelopments since last May have shown a careless disregard on the part of the Saudi Arabia-United Arab Emirates-Bahrain entente of the basic tenets of rationa…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe GCC in Turmoil: Repercussions of the Gulf Crisis on Iraq-GCC Relations
Jun 27, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabIraq and the GCC have a long history of cooperation as well as enmity. How has the relationship between Iraq and GCC nations developed and what is the impact o…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Gaza Crisis and the Politics of the Light Switch
Jun 26, 2017Yousef MunayyerThe Gaza Strip is under unprecedented pressure. The situation on the ground has reached a climax over the past few months, making it ripe for either an implosi…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Yemen Conflict and Its Elusive Political Solution
Jun 26, 2017Gregory AftandilianOvershadowed by the conflict in Syria, Yemen continues to suffer from an internal civil war, a regional proxy war, and a grave humanitarian crisis. Unfortunate…
- Policy Analysis
QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSaudi, UAE Demands to End Qatar Crisis: Commands, Diktats, and Ultimatums
Jun 23, 2017Joe Macaron Radwan Ziadeh Yousef Munayyer Tamara Kharroub Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Marcus Montgomery Imad K. Harb Mustafa GurbuzThe Saudi-led coalition presented Qatar a list of 13 demands to end the crisis. Analysts at Arab Center Washington DC provide an assessment and analysis of thi…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and DefenseForeign Policy Aspects of US Weapons Sales in the Gulf: What Does the United States Get Out of It?
Jun 22, 2017David B. Des RochesUS government policy in the Arabian Peninsula is often maddeningly inconsistent to outside— and inside—observers. A republic such as the United States, which …
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and EconomicsImpact of the GCC Crisis on Global Energy Markets
Jun 21, 2017Joe MacaronWhile the diplomatic row among GCC countries had no immediate impact on energy trade, the uncertainty and longevity of the crisis might have long term reverber…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionHow Did Syria Become a Victim of Regional and International Conflicts?
Jun 19, 2017Radwan ZiadehAs a seventh round of peace talks is announced, the United States and Russia clash over Syria and the GCC crisis remains unresolved. What is the impact of conf…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCCPresident Trump Failed His Gulf Test
Jun 15, 2017Imad K. HarbThe United States must show a full-fledged commitment to GCC unity and refrain from appearing to side with some of the council’s members against others.
- Policy Analysis
US Domestic Politics and ElectionsInstitutional Challenges to US Foreign Policy: Trump’s Problematic Approach
Jun 13, 2017Charles W. DunneSlashing the budget for diplomacy will affect Trump’s priorities such as building new Gulf security structures, defeating ISIL, containing Iran, and tackling A…
- Policy Analysis
QatarRegional Relations and GeopoliticsWhat’s at Stake for the United States in the GCC Crisis?
Jun 8, 2017Joe MacaronA lot is at stake for US national security in the Gulf, including the possibility of living with a divided GCC, the potential expansion of Iranian influence, a…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Discussion of the UN Report on “Israeli Practices Regarding the Palestinians and the Question of Apartheid”
Jun 8, 2017Virginia TilleyThe two-state solution will allow Israel as an apartheid state to rule over a smaller portion of historical Palestine but will not be a just solution for the c…
- Policy Analysis
QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWhy Qatar? Explaining Contentious Issues
Jun 6, 2017Imad K. HarbWhat should concern all members of the GCC today is working together not only to simply iron out differences but to provide an agenda for successful collective…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptConflicts and Conflict ResolutionEgyptian-Saudi Relations: Managing a Difficult Marriage
Jun 6, 2017Gregory AftandilianSaudi Arabia and Egypt need each other at this uncertain time and this inter-dependence keeps them together in a symbiotic relationship despite occasional stra…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Bird’s Eye View of the 1967 War: Palestine Remains the Central Issue
Jun 5, 2017Imad K. HarbAfter fifty years of the 1967 war that changed the map of the Middle East and destroyed the Arab republican nationalist regimes, the Question of Palestine rema…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Dangers of Arab Normalization with Israel
Jun 1, 2017Dana El KurdArab normalization with Israel is a shortsighted policy on the part of governments, organizations, and individuals. Such a policy poses a risk to both the Pale…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA US-Iran Race to Control the Damascus-Baghdad Highway
May 31, 2017Joe MacaronSecuring the Damascus-Baghdad highway and deterring Iran’s regional activities might lead to a direct US involvement in the Syrian war.
- Policy Analysis
EgyptConflicts and Conflict ResolutionTurkish-Egyptian Relations: Nowhere to Go but Up
May 30, 2017Charles W. DunneEgypt and Turkey, both staunch US allies, have found themselves locked in a war of words—and worse—for nearly four years since the overthrow of President Moham…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionNetanyahu’s Nightmare: Trump Visits Palestine
May 30, 2017Yousef MunayyerTrump will not bring about a two-state solution but he may be in a unique position to get Israelis to understand that they have to end their oppression of the …
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsGaping Holes in Trump’s Well-Received Speech
May 26, 2017Imad K. HarbPresident Trump’s speech on better relations with Muslims exposed flaws and gaping holes the Administration will have to correct if it wants to advance its int…
- Policy Analysis
LevantReligion and PoliticsTrump’s Riyadh Speech: Same Intolerance, Different Packaging, No Strategy
May 24, 2017Tamara KharroubTrump’s speech in Saudi Arabia received praise and acclaim but it is hard to see if the president has indeed changed his opinion about Islam and Muslims.
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionBeyond the Trump-Erdoğan Meeting: The Rise of Eurasianists and Turkey’s Syria Policy
May 23, 2017Mustafa GurbuzA structural change in Turkey’s political system is gradually forcing serious changes in the country’s foreign policy toward Syria, the Gulf countries, Russia,…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceOnce Again, Lebanon Faces the Ghost of a Political Vacuum
May 17, 2017Joe MacaronLebanon’s sectarian consensus rule raises questions about the functionality of the country’s political system. An agreement on its new electoral law is needed …
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq Beyond the Islamic State
May 17, 2017Charles W. DunneAfter the defeat of ISIL and the reconquest of Mosul, how will Iraq’s government address the lingering issues of national identity, minorities, and Kurdish asp…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionCautionary Notes to the GCC about Trump’s Visit
May 15, 2017Imad K. HarbPresident Trump’s erratic behavior and lack of knowledge and his administration’s institutional problems require great caution from GCC leaders when he visits …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAbbas’s Inconclusive Washington Visit and Netanyahu’s Tactics
May 9, 2017Yousef MunayyerThe outcome of President Abbas’s visit to Washington was inconclusive but it was a reminder that President Trump is an unpredictable partner in peace.
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceChallenges Facing Iran’s Presidential Contenders
May 9, 2017Imad K. HarbIran’s presidential candidates are acutely aware that if elected, they would have to hew to the wishes and ultimate desires of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Middle East in Trump’s First 100 Days in Office
May 3, 2017Joe MacaronProjecting the image of political stability and steadiness in Washington is paramount for US policy in the Middle East. There is no room for second-guessing th…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionPresident Abbas Spins the Wheel in Washington
May 2, 2017Imad K. HarbRealities on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territories and an obvious pro-Israel American bias dash any hope for an equitable peace deal from the Trum…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaDemocracy and GovernanceTunisians Want a Better Economy and a Democratic System
May 1, 2017Imad K. HarbForty-nine percent of Tunisians consider improving the economy the topmost priority while 20 percent think that security is. An overwhelming majority want a de…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIs Enforced Displacement the New Reality in Syria?
Apr 28, 2017Radwan ZiadehIt is feared that forced displacement of Syrians as a way of protecting vulnerable civilians may result in creating pure sectarian enclaves, making partition e…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionTrump Ponders Renewing America’s Longest War in Afghanistan
Apr 26, 2017Joe MacaronThe Pentagon has in recent weeks flexed its muscles in Afghanistan but the US continues to navigate a difficult environment in that country as the Taliban rema…
- Policy Analysis
LevantMigrants, Refugees, and IDPsWill Erdogan’s Victory Usher Dramatic Changes in Turkish Foreign Policy?
Apr 25, 2017Mustafa GurbuzSince becoming Turkey’s president in July 2014, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pursued a protracted campaign to win constitutional changes that would grant him more …
- Research Paper
MoroccoConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Four-Approach Dilemma of the Western Sahara Conflict
Apr 25, 2017Mohammed CherkaouiWhile awaiting the perennial renewal of the mandate for the UN monitoring force (MINURSO, or Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara) in Western Sahara at…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceThe Quandary of Bad Governance in the Arab World
Apr 24, 2017Imad K. HarbPolling in the Arab world shows that Arabs in general have little confidence in their civilian institutions and believe that their governments are not doing en…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionNext Challenge for Trump: The Islamic Republic of Iran
Apr 24, 2017Charles W. DunneAs the new administration of President Donald J. Trump struggles to find its foreign policy footing, with early tests emerging in the Middle East, Asia, Europe…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIsrael’s “New” Settlement Policy Ploy
Apr 21, 2017Yousef MunayyerTo reach a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, President Trump has to press the former to end violations of international law and settlement building.
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionDeterring Iran in Yemen: Will the United States Join the Hodeida Operation?
Apr 19, 2017Joe MacaronThe United States debates whether it wants to assist in evicting the Houthis out of Yemen's Hodeida.
- Policy Analysis
LevantIdentity Politics and SectarianizationPerceptions of ISIL in the Arab World
Apr 14, 2017Radwan ZiadehArab autocrats can no longer argue that Arabs are satisfied with authoritarian rule. New social movements have emerged after the Arab Spring advocating for hum…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceThe Trump Administration’s Complicated Middle East Map
Apr 12, 2017Charles W. DunneAs the 2016 US presidential campaign wound its way through a long string of primaries, fundraisers, and an almost unimaginable marathon of candidate debates, d…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Dramatic American Change on Syria, but Will It Be Consequential?
Apr 7, 2017Imad K. HarbAs a limited attack on a Syrian military base, the American operation is not likely to rise to the status of being a game changer in Syria.
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Outsider Diplomat: Tillerson Strives to Define his Role
Apr 6, 2017Joe MacaronAfter two months in office, Tillerson is gradually coping in his new job; his success or failure will indeed have a significant impact on US foreign policy in …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Turkey-Russia Rift Heralds an Autonomous Kurdistan in Syria
Apr 5, 2017Mustafa GurbuzAs the Syrian civil war grinds on into a seventh year, a Kurdish autonomous region controlled by the People’s Protection Units becomes more probable in norther…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and DefenseThe US Military Posture in the Gulf: Future Possibilities
Apr 4, 2017Imad K. HarbSince former President Jimmy Carter announced the establishment of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force in the Middle East in 1980—which later became Central …
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionGenocide in Mosul: The Repercussions of Targeting Civilians
Apr 4, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThere have been widespread allegations that the destruction of Mosul, the major Sunni Iraqi city after Baghdad, is the aim of the Iranian-backed Shiite militia…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptDemocracy and GovernanceEgypt’s Fragile Stability: Erosion of the Rule of Law and Institutions of Governance
Mar 30, 2017Moataz El FegieryThis paper addresses the erosion of the rule of law and institutions of governance in Egypt by discussing the significant expansion of legal repression, the cl…
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsThe US at the UN and the Apartheid Report on Palestine
Mar 29, 2017Yousef MunayyerEarlier this month and for the first time in the history of the United Nations, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)—a UN institution—is…
- Policy Analysis
Conflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Last of a Dying Breed: The 2016 Referendum on Clintonism
Mar 29, 2017Marcus MontgomeryFor many young voters, the Democratic Party’s nomination of Hillary Clinton for the US presidency in 2016 seemed surprising, considering she was a problematic …
- Policy Analysis
IraqReligion and PoliticsWhy Is the Battle against ISIL not Going Well?
Mar 28, 2017Radwan ZiadehOn March 22nd, the foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) concluded their meeting in Washington, D…
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceSyria Peace Talks in Geneva: A Road to Nowhere
Mar 27, 2017Radwan ZiadehOn March 3, 2017, the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, concluded the last round of Syria peace negotiations in Geneva by saying tha…
- Policy Analysis
Energy and EconomicsThe American-Russian Strategic Competition in the Arab Middle East
Mar 23, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Historical ContextThe presence of global powers in the Arab Middle East region is not new. American and Russian involvement goes back to the 18th and 19th …
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsThe Difficult Tasks for the Arab League
Mar 22, 2017Imad K. HarbAs the Arab League limps through its eighth decade, its problems increase in number and intensity while the Arab state system continues to be burdened with pol…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonDemocracy and GovernanceLebanon’s Oligarchy Consolidates Control over the Security Establishment
Mar 22, 2017Joe MacaronAfter an impasse of nearly four years, on March 8 the Lebanese government announced a sectarian quota deal to fill the security establishment's leadership posi…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceTurnover: What Are the Implications of Recent and Upcoming Changes in Hamas?
Mar 15, 2017Yousef MunayyerBackgroundSince its establishment in the 1980s, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, has increasingly become an important player in domestic …
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionObstacles to President Trump’s Options on Iran
Mar 14, 2017Imad K. HarbAlmost two months into his presidency, Donald Trump has charted a clear path to tense relations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thi…
- Policy Analysis
LevantDemocracy and GovernanceWhy Federalism Is a Bad Idea for Syria
Mar 13, 2017Radwan ZiadehIn the middle of the discussion about transition in Syria, Russia proposed the idea of a federal republic, according to deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov.…
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationTurkey-Iran Relations: A Sectarian Future?
Mar 8, 2017Mustafa GurbuzThe Syrian war and ensuing crisis in Iraq have put Turkey and Iran in an unprecedented sectarian rivalry. Competition over Iraqi Kurdistan will be a major test…
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsJ Street Annual Conference: “Defending Our Values: Fighting for Our Future”
Mar 8, 2017Roxanne PeruginoJ Street, the liberal left-of-center Jewish pro-peace, pro-Israel organization held its sixth annual conference at the end of February in Washington, DC. Over …
- Policy Analysis
International LawTrump’s Defense Budget Militarizes US Foreign Policy
Mar 7, 2017Joe MacaronThe signature blueprint of any US president is the federal budget. Donald Trump is giving us an insight into how he views the world and what resources he inten…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionRegaining Western Mosul: Consequences and Implications
Mar 2, 2017Abdulwahab Al-Qassabimg { margin: 5px; padding: 5px;}Since October 2016, the Iraqi government, supported by the US military, has waged one of its most difficult battles t…
- Policy Analysis
Regional Relations and GeopoliticsHow Will Trump Run Washington’s Favorite Killing Machine?
Mar 2, 2017Joe MacaronIn 2016, US unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) dropped on average three bombs every 60 minutes in the global fight against radical extremists. Nothing defined Pre…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonUS Foreign PolicyThe Trump Administration’s Hezbollah Problem
Mar 2, 2017Imad K. HarbAs paramilitary organizations go, Lebanon’s Hezbollah has achieved resounding success since its establishment by the revolutionary Iranian regime, which was ne…
- Policy Analysis
LevantJustice, Equality, and Human RightsNetanyahu and Trump Chart New US-Israel Relationship
Feb 26, 2017Yousef MunayyerBackgroundOn February 15, 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump met in the White House for the first time since America’s …
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionDemocratization and Radicalization: Understanding Tunisia’s Model of Democratic Transition
Feb 21, 2017Tamara KharroubOn February 1, 2017, German police arrested a Tunisian asylum seeker suspected of recruiting for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and planning a…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptSecurity and DefenseGoing Forward on Egyptian-American Relations
Feb 21, 2017Imad K. HarbEgypt recently marked the sixth anniversary of the resignation of former President Hosni Mubarak and his handover of power to the Supreme Council of the Armed …



























































