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  • Policy Analysis
    TurkeyUS Foreign Policy

    The Path to Armenian Genocide Recognition: A Lesson for Palestine Activists?

    May 6, 2021Gregory Aftandilian

    The 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 Policy

    The Israeli Factor in the US-Iran Nuclear Talks

    May 6, 2021Joe Macaron

    As 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 Policy

    The United States Ends its Combat Role in Iraq

    Apr 26, 2021Gregory Aftandilian

    At 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 Policy

    Will the Natanz Incident Produce Maximum Diplomacy?

    Apr 23, 2021Daniel Brumberg

    Just 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
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    Yemen’s Critical Moment

    Apr 21, 2021Nabeel A. Khoury

    Tim Lenderking, the American special envoy for Yemen, recently attended a meeting in Germany with representatives of the five permanent members of the United N…

  • Policy Analysis
    Qalandiya checkpoint in the West Bank
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Biden’s Apparent Failure on Israel-Palestine

    Apr 13, 2021Imad K. Harb

    President 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
    YemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Time to Rethink International Intervention in Yemen

    Apr 7, 2021Nadwa Al-Dawsari

    Ten years ago, youth-led peaceful protests spread in Yemen demanding political reforms and the removal of the corrupt regime of former President Ali Abdullah S…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Congressional Advocacy for Palestinian Rights in the Post-Trump Era

    Apr 2, 2021Yousef Munayyer

    For 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 Policy

    Jordan’s Monarchy Reclaims Regional Role under Biden

    Mar 25, 2021Joe Macaron

    To 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 Policy

    Hard-liners Fight for Iran’s Presidency and Foreign Policy

    Mar 17, 2021Daniel Brumberg

    Former 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 Policy

    The Biden Administration and the Palestinians: Early Policy Indications

    Mar 9, 2021Yousef Munayyer

    The 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…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    Repercussions of the ODNI Khashoggi Report: An Assessment

    Mar 3, 2021Khalil E. Jahshan Imad K. Harb Kristian Coates Ulrichsen Sarah Leah Whitson Rosie Bsheer

    On February 26, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its report on the assassination of US resident and Washington Post columnis…

  • Viewpoint
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    Mohammed bin Salman in the Hot Seat

    Feb 26, 2021Imad K. Harb

    The 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 Policy

    The US and Iran: From Brinkmanship to Negotiations?

    Feb 25, 2021Daniel Brumberg

    In 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 Policy

    The Biden Administration Contemplates a New Pivot to Asia

    Feb 23, 2021Charles W. Dunne

    Is 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 …

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    The Limits of US-French Coordination in the Middle East

    Feb 17, 2021Joe Macaron

    Joe Macaron explores the current state of American-French relations regarding the Middle East at the start of the Biden Administration. He lists three main rea…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    Biden will Contend with Divergent Middle East Preferences on Iran

    Jan 27, 2021Daniel Brumberg

    The Middle East is experiencing a period of diplomatic and strategic readjustment that will create both challenges and opportunities for the Biden Administrati…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    Iran between Avenging Soleimani and Engaging Biden

    Jan 27, 2021Joe Macaron

    Two events in January serve as reminders of how US-Iran dynamics are pulled in two different directions: the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20,…

  • Policy Analysis
    YemenUS Foreign Policy

    Pompeo’s Departing Sabotage in Yemen

    Jan 19, 2021Imad K. Harb

    With less than two weeks in office before he checks out of Foggy Bottom, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated Yemen’s Houthi movement a foreign terrorist …

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    China’s Belt and Road Initiative and US Middle East Policy

    Jan 13, 2021Charles W. Dunne

    More than seven years after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his country’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the vast infrastructure and economic developme…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    The Biden Administration’s Foreign Policy: Key Features and Likely Changes

    Jan 6, 2021Unit for Political Studies

    Having won the American presidential election, and despite incumbent President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede, Democratic candidate and President-elect Joe …

  • Viewpoint
    MoroccoJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Morocco’s Unmissed Opportunity in the Western Sahara

    Dec 21, 2020Mohamed Daadaoui

    In a final act by his administration, President Donald Trump announced that Morocco and Israel will normalize relations, making the kingdom the fourth Arab cou…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    The Limits of American Multilateral Diplomacy in the Middle East

    Dec 21, 2020Daniel Brumberg

    Perhaps the hardest among the many challenges that the new Biden Administration will face is renewing the spirit and practice of multilateral diplomacy in regi…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    The Biden Administration and US Foreign Policy Decision-Making

    Dec 15, 2020Joe Macaron

    President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration will have a lasting impact on the American foreign policy decision-making process, most notably when it com…

  • Policy Analysis
    SudanUS Foreign Policy

    The Biden Presidency Could Help Democratic Transition in Sudan

    Dec 15, 2020Abdelkhalig Shaib

    When former Vice President Joe Biden won the election following four tumultuous years under President Donald Trump, the Sudanese government and people had a qu…

  • Policy Analysis
    MoroccoUS Foreign Policy

    Morocco, Too, Signs on to Trump’s Lawlessness

    Dec 11, 2020Imad K. Harb

    Morocco became the fourth Arab country to normalize relations with Israel without linking the move to progress regarding Palestine. In fact, the agreement had …

  • Policy Analysis
    TurkeyUS Foreign Policy

    What Awaits US-Turkey Relations in the Biden Era?

    Dec 9, 2020Mustafa Gurbuz

    A few weeks before the November elections, a video clip of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden went viral in Turkey and caused a stir inside the Turkish gove…

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonUS Foreign Policy

    Lebanon and the Biden Administration: Détente or More Sanctions?

    Dec 8, 2020Diana Moukalled

    In 2009, when he was vice president to Barack Obama, President-elect Joe Biden visited Lebanon for a few days. He was then the highest ranking American officia…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    Will Biden Help to Restore Jordan’s Position in the Middle East?

    Dec 8, 2020Curtis Ryan

    Jordan’s relations with the United States are almost as old as the kingdom itself, with the country enjoying a generally strengthening relationship over the ye…

  • Policy Analysis
    SyriaUS Foreign Policy

    Biden Has a New Opportunity in Syria

    Dec 7, 2020Radwan Ziadeh

    The exceptional nature of the 2020 American presidential election, held in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic that has so far killed over a quarter million…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Biden and Correcting the Course of Relations with Palestine

    Dec 4, 2020Zaha Hassan

    Palestinians let out a collective sigh of relief following confirmation that former Vice President Joe Biden won the US presidential election. Though the Pales…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Biden and Israel: The Constraints Are Plentiful

    Dec 4, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    As inauguration nears and President-elect Joe Biden assembles his cabinet and broader domestic and foreign policy teams, they collectively stare at four years …

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaUS Foreign Policy

    The Complications Confronting Biden in Northwest Africa

    Dec 2, 2020Imad K. Harb

    Following four years of American disarray and the absence of an effective foreign policy, the Joe Biden presidency faces both serious challenges in dealing wit…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    Biden’s Challenges in Stabilizing Libya

    Dec 2, 2020Karim Mezran Emadeddin Badi

    Upon assuming power, President Joe Biden and his administration will face a still-chaotic Libya despite the many political maneuverings afoot among Libyans and…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptUS Foreign Policy

    The Biden Administration and Egypt: A New Course or Business as Usual?

    Dec 1, 2020Khalil Al-Anani

    Since the announcement of Joe Biden’s victory in the US election, a state of anxiety and unease has gripped Egypt. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi will now lose…

  • Policy Analysis
    TunisiaUS Foreign Policy

    What Can Tunisia Expect from a Biden Administration?

    Dec 1, 2020Sarah Yerkes

    Like most of its North African neighbors, Tunisia saw little attention from the Trump Administration, compared to other parts of the Middle East such as Egypt,…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    Democracy and Human Rights in the Middle East: The Biden Agenda

    Nov 25, 2020Charles W. Dunne

    As news that former Vice President Joe Biden had won the American presidential election began to circulate on Saturday, November 7, messages of congratulations…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCC

    The Biden Presidency and the Gulf Arab States

    Nov 24, 2020Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

    Assessing the Biden Administration’s future relations with the Gulf, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen writes that it faces a set of difficult challenges on a number o…

  • Policy Analysis
    YemenUS Foreign Policy

    Yemen May Be a Priority for Biden and the Democrats

    Nov 20, 2020Gregory Aftandilian

    As President-elect Joe Biden assembles his team and sets his priorities for the next four years, there has been much speculation as to what he will focus on in…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    Biden and Iraq: A Chance to Address Past Mistakes

    Nov 20, 2020Nabeel A. Khoury

    The Biden Administration is likely to change a few policies in the Middle East while keeping others essentially the same. Iran, long considered an adversary, i…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    A Prognosis for American Involvement in the Middle East

    Nov 14, 2020Kenneth Katzman

    There is little doubt that the American approach to the Middle East has been undergoing significant change and will continue to do so. This trend might represe…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Trump Term: An Israel-Palestine Damage Assessment

    Nov 11, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    Shortly after he was elected as president in November 2016, Donald Trump quickly got to work on advancing his Israel policy. In fact, he might have focused mor…

  • Policy Analysis
    Public Opinion

    How Do People in the Middle East View the US Presidential Election?

    Nov 6, 2020Khalil Al-Anani Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Jonathan Kuttab Joe Macaron Marcus Montgomery Yousef Munayyer

    With the United States playing a major role in Middle East politics, US presidential elections are usually of utmost importance to the region’s leaders, elites…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    Iran and the World Wait for Biden

    Nov 5, 2020Daniel Brumberg

    Iranian leaders have insisted that the November 3rd US elections would have no real significance for Iran’s basic interests. But such assertions should not be …

  • Policy Analysis
    UAEUS Foreign Policy

    The Middle East Accords: An Arab Perspective

    Nov 2, 2020Imad K. Harb

    The recent agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan will not help the cause of regional peace.On August 13, President D…

  • Policy Analysis
    Security and Defense

    As US Counterterrorism Policy Focus Wavers, a Thorough Review Is Needed

    Oct 28, 2020Charles W. Dunne

    The struggle to defeat global terrorism has been a dominant issue in the last four presidential elections, but not so in 2020. As the race between Donald Trump…

  • Policy Analysis
    SudanUS Foreign Policy

    US Presses Sudan to Normalize Relations with Israel

    Oct 14, 2020Gregory Aftandilian

    The Trump Administration is holding up the removal of Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) list because it wants Khartoum to establish diplomatic t…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    Saudi Arabia Prefers Implicit Normalization with Israel

    Sep 18, 2020Daniel Brumberg

    Signed at the White House on September 15, the new peace agreements between Israel on the one side and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on the other …

  • Viewpoint
    UAESecurity and Defense

    Comments on the UAE’s Acquisition of the F-35

    Sep 8, 2020Abdulwahab Al-Qassab

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have condoned the sale of the advanced American F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the United Arab Emirates afte…

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonUS Foreign Policy

    How Can the United States Best Help Lebanon?

    Aug 25, 2020Charles W. Dunne

    With Lebanon in crisis and the United States’ desire to help, Charles W. Dunne writes that Washington’s focus on sidelining Hezbollah and Iran should not under…

  • Viewpoint
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    Iraq’s Mustafa Al-Kadhimi Comes to Washington

    Aug 18, 2020Abdulwahab Al-Qassab

    Abdulwahab Al-Qassab previews Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s upcoming visit to Washington and writes that the American capital may be too preoccupie…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The UAE-Israel Deal that Keeps Peace Away

    Aug 17, 2020Imad K. Harb Zaha Hassan Tamara Kharroub Kristian Coates Ulrichsen Yousef Munayyer

    The UAE-Israel agreement to normalize bilateral relations serves immediate political purposes for the Israeli prime minister and President Donald Trump without…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The UAE-Israel Deal: Exploring the Motives

    Aug 17, 2020Khalil E. Jahshan

    Khalil E. Jahshan explores the political reasons behind the agreement to officially normalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, stating th…

  • Viewpoint
    US Foreign Policy

    Pompeo and His Unalienable Rights Scam

    Aug 5, 2020Khalil E. Jahshan

    Commenting on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s latest speech about support for human rights around the world, Khalil E. Jahshan argues that affiliating with mi…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue: Important Achievements, but Much Remains to Be Done

    Jul 14, 2020Charles W. Dunne

    Charles W. Dunne reports that the first round of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue in June made progress on security issues, but many challenges remain for the tw…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaUS Foreign Policy

    By Sanctioning Turkey’s Role in Libya, Trump Emboldens Erdoğan in the Eastern Mediterranean

    Jul 10, 2020Joe Macaron

    Evaluating the Trump Administration's policy toward Libya, Joe Macaron writes that from giving a green light to Haftar to march toward Tripoli to endorsing Tur…

  • Policy Analysis
    SyriaEnergy and Economics

    US-Russian Competition and the M4 Highway in Syria

    Jun 23, 2020Joe Macaron

    Joe Macaron argues that in Syria, implementing the Caesar Act sanctions and opening the east-west M4 Highway reflect intensified US-Russian competition while t…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and Defense

    The Arms Trade in the MENA Region: Drivers and Dangers

    Jun 17, 2020Charles W. Dunne

    Charles W. Dunne argues that international arms sales remain a huge business in the Middle East, making it the most militarized region globally. However, he wr…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Trump Toys with Domestic Use of Military

    Jun 10, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery discusses President Trump's gambit to use the American military domestically and the administration's new approach to Israel's annexation pla…

  • Viewpoint
    LevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Threat of Israeli Annexation: The American Dimension

    Jun 9, 2020Khalil E. Jahshan

    Khalil E. Jahshan writes that there is nothing new about depopulating Palestine and confiscating and annexing Palestinian land, policies that have been necessa…

  • Policy Analysis
    Security and Defense

    China in the Middle East: Capitalizing on Washington’s Distractions

    May 29, 2020Charles W. Dunne

    Charles W. Dunne analyzes how China's efforts to expand and defend its interests in the Middle East may come at the expense of the United States, which has tra…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelInternational Law

    Assessing Options for a Palestinian Response to Israeli Annexation

    May 28, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    After 18 months of false starts and three attempts, Israeli elections have finally yielded a governing coalition that has brought together its largest parties,…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    US Middle East Policy in Free Fall

    May 28, 2020Daniel Brumberg

    Gulf Arab states have little choice but to rely for their security needs on the Trump Administration despite its feckless policy in the Middle East and poor ca…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqViolent Extremism

    The US and Iraq Must Shore Up the Fight against the Islamic State

    May 8, 2020Charles W. Dunne

    Charles W. Dunne argues that the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq faces numerous setbacks, including the coronavirus, and that the upcoming US-Iraq Stra…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Capitol Hill Turns to Public Diplomacy to Challenge Trump’s Policies

    May 6, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Until May 4, the House of Representatives and Senate were steering clear of Capitol Hill in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease to lawma…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    Worrisome American Response to Iran in the Gulf

    May 5, 2020Abdulwahab Al-Qassab

    Abdulwahab Al-Qassab examines the muted US response to Iranian provocations in the Arabian Gulf, surmising that it reflects poorly on the reputation of the Uni…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    COVID-19, Presidential Elections, and US Foreign Policy

    Apr 29, 2020Joe Macaron

    Joe Macaron writes that Donald Trump's presidency and his administration's foreign policy may be defined this election year by the coronavirus pandemic and its…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    Did the Saudi-Led Oil Deal Diminish Republicans’ 2020 Electoral Chances?

    Apr 15, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Because the health of the US economy is critical for Donald Trump's reelection hopes, Marcus Montgomery asks if the recent Saudi-led OPEC+ cuts will contribute…

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Libya: Between Proxy War and International Failure

    Apr 14, 2020Khalil Al-Anani

    The domestic, regional, and international players of the Libyan conflict continue to fuel the civil war nine years after the toppling of Muammar Qadhafi.

  • Policy Analysis
    LebanonDemocracy and Governance

    The Fakhoury Fiasco and US-Lebanese Relations

    Apr 13, 2020Joe Macaron

    The unconventional release of Lebanese-American Amer Fakhoury highlights the extent of Washington’s leverage in Beirut and raises questions about the status of…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    The COVID-19 Pandemic Prompts Debate over Iran Sanctions

    Apr 1, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery details splits in official Washington about how to deal with Iran at this delicate time of the coronavirus outbreak: some want to offer sanct…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    COVID-19 and Iranian-American Relations

    Apr 1, 2020Daniel Brumberg

    As US-Iran relations suffer from continuing political and ideological differences, the coronavirus calamity could provide an opportunity for deescalation and c…

  • Policy Analysis
    JordanUS Foreign Policy

    Jordan and Trump’s Peace Plan

    Mar 24, 2020Gregory Aftandilian

    Jordan’s relations with Israel have hit a low point following the unveiling of the Trump peace plan because of fears over annexation of Israeli settlements in …

  • Policy Analysis
    SyriaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Russian-Turkish Tensions in Syria May Help Mend the US-Turkish Divide

    Mar 20, 2020Daniel Brumberg

    Daniel Brumberg studies the intricacies of Turkey's involvement in Syria and accommodation with Russia as it simultaneously hopes to enlist the assistance of t…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    Trump, Congress Lay Out Election Year Foreign Policy Priorities

    Mar 11, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    Marcus Montgomery discusses how the Trump Administration is pressing forward with its campaign against Iran as many in Congress are trying to constrain the pre…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Bernie Sanders Factor in US Policy toward Israel

    Mar 4, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    The Sanders candidacy represents a shift in public opinion on Israel and that Sanders’s position on Palestinian rights opens a political space that is increasi…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    What Does Bipartisan Support for Israel Look Like?

    Mar 4, 2020Marcus Montgomery

    The AIPAC and CPAC conferences in Washington became the venue for the Republican Party to seek to redefine the parameters of bipartisan support for Israel.

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Economic Prospects of the White House’s New Plan for Peace

    Feb 25, 2020Colin Powers

    Evaluating the economic portion of Trump’s plan for Palestinian-Israeli peace, Colin Powers argues that for its economics as much as for its politics and immor…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The United States and Iran Continue to Maneuver in Iraq

    Feb 21, 2020Gregory Aftandilian

    Gregory Aftandilian contends that after the very tense period of December 2019-January 2020, the United States and Iran are seeking to restore their credibilit…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Global Reactions to the Trump Peace Plan

    Feb 20, 2020Yousef Munayyer

    Yousef Munayyer cautions that Trump’s position and weight as president of the United States influence how the international community reacts to his plan for Pa…

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