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- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Bahrain Workshop in Retrospect: Critical Israeli and American Jewish Responses
Jul 2, 2019Khalil E. JahshanThe general Israeli approval of the Trump Administration’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan was not universal, noting that some Israeli peace groups, US and Israeli …
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionKushner’s Economic Plan Liquidates the Cause of Palestinian Statehood
Jun 27, 2019Imad K. HarbImagine, if you will, that it is Spring 2017 and you are Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the newly sworn-in American president. He has anointed you special envoy …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA US-Turkish Agreement Remains a Challenge in Northeastern Syria
Jun 26, 2019Joe MacaronUS officials may be rushing a deal with Turkey in northeastern Syria that could lead to a Turkish-Kurdish confrontation and stall the American withdrawal from …
- Policy Analysis
JordanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWhat Actually Ails the Palestinian Economy?
Jun 20, 2019Yousef MunayyerThe Israeli occupation and lack of freedom for Palestinians are the most salient factors that hamper the Palestinian economy, and this should be blindingly obv…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Mecca Summits: Spinning the Wheels on Iran
Jun 11, 2019Imad K. HarbBy devoting its three Mecca summit meetings to vilifying and criticizing Iran, Saudi Arabia missed a good opportunity to address the many problems facing the G…
- Policy Analysis
Chronic Insecurity in the Middle East: Causes and Consequences
Jun 1, 2019Mehran KamravaThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Even before the discovery of oil in southwestern Iran at the start of the 20th c…
- Policy Analysis
JordanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionFacing Pressure at Home and Abroad, Jordan’s King Shifts Strategy
May 23, 2019Joe MacaronThe Trump Administration’s anticipated Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative is pushing Jordan’s King Abdullah to realign interests with his country’s Muslim Br…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSyria for Sale: The Price of Assad’s Survival
May 10, 2019Radwan ZiadehRussia’s so-called investments in vital Syrian installations like the Tartous port and in strategic assets such as oil and gas illustrate that the country is b…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWorrisome Competition in the Red Sea Subsystem
May 1, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Red Sea subsystem involves many capable regional and international actors with competing agendas that, if not reconciled, could increase tensions and lead …
- Policy Analysis
JordanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWill Israel’s New Government Annex the West Bank?
Apr 24, 2019Yousef MunayyerWith growing domestic support and unquestioning backing from the Trump White House, Israeli leaders may decide that there is a rare opportunity to annex at lea…
- Policy Analysis
North AfricaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionTunisia’s Fragmented and Polarized Political Landscape
Mar 28, 2019Daniel BrumbergIn the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in November 2019, if Tunisia’s politicians continue to battle under the umbrella of a largely feigned …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe New Shtayyeh Government in Palestine: Challenges and Prospects
Mar 20, 2019Khalil E. JahshanThe newly designated Palestinian prime minister faces difficult challenges in forming an inclusive government at a time of serious divisions in Palestinian ran…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Mutually Connected Fronts between Israel and Iran
Mar 18, 2019Joe MacaronAlthough a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran is improbable at this time, the two countries share three potential war fronts in Lebanon, Syria, and t…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIt May Be Time to Go Beyond Zionism
Mar 8, 2019Laurie KingIt is necessary to distinguish between hatred of Jews and valid and overdue criticism of Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law.
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionBankrolling Kushner’s Mideast Plan
Mar 7, 2019Khalil E. JahshanThe Palestinians have no option but to reject the Trump Administration’s peace plan because of its failure to publicly and explicitly guarantee Palestinian sta…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Trump Administration Is Buying Time in Syria
Feb 26, 2019Joe MacaronIt is no secret that Trump does not see any financial or strategic value in keeping US forces in Syria; however, his policy there has been like an aimless roll…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIran Should Worry about New Iraq-Jordan Relations
Feb 13, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe recent economic agreement between Iraq and Jordan sends signals to Iran that Iraq may find Arab alternatives to its relations with the Islamic Republic.
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Manbij Attack Exposes the Vulnerabilities of US Policy in Syria
Jan 17, 2019Joe MacaronThe US withdrawal from Syria may encourage Turkey and Russia to fill the vacuum, but IS’s Manbij attack may persuade Trump to stay a bit longer there.
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionDeteriorating Circumstances in Syria and Yemen Overshadow US Tactical Success
Jan 16, 2019Charles W. DunneChanging circumstances in Syria and Yemen and Washington’s shifting strategies have exposed the Trump Administration’s claims of success as threadbare.
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAbbas and Netanyahu Turn to Elections to Solidify Control
Dec 28, 2018Yousef MunayyerAs a new year begins in Israel/Palestine, leaders there are seeking to use elections to sideline challenges and challengers, solidify their grip on power, and …
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyNo American Traction on Resolving the GCC Crisis
Dec 27, 2018Charles W. DunneTo maintain or reassert its leadership role in the Gulf region, the United States must effectively and forcefully address the reasons behind the start of the G…
- Viewpoint
SyriaUS Foreign PolicyTrump’s Syria Announcement Underscores US Policy Meltdown
Dec 20, 2018Daniel BrumbergThe withdrawal of US troops will make it easier for Moscow and Tehran to advance a political solution ensuring that Assad and his allies remain in power.
- Policy Analysis
QatarThe GCCThe GCC Is Meeting Again: What to Expect?
Dec 3, 2018Kristian Coates UlrichsenRegardless of what happens at the GCC summit on December 9, the likelihood is that the council as it functioned up until 2017 is not coming back anytime soon, …
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionUS Economic Warfare and Iran’s Politics of Muddling Through
Nov 30, 2018Daniel BrumbergIf the Trump Administration and its Middle East allies are counting on capitulation by Iran’s leaders, they are likely to be disappointed in knowing that these…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIsrael and Gaza: From the Brink of War to the Brink of Elections
Nov 27, 2018Yousef MunayyerAfter new elections in Israel, there is little reason to expect anything other than another right-wing Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Policy Analysis
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLibyans Should Decide Their Own Future: An Interview with Hani Shennib
Nov 20, 2018Imad K. HarbThe failure to address the root causes of the Libyan conflict is the main reason why Libya has not arrived at a peaceful resolution to its ongoing troubles.
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Weakened Arab Gulf Should Not Normalize Relations with Israel
Nov 9, 2018Imad K. HarbToday, Israel seems to be closer to officially normalizing its existence in the wider Arab world by aggressively pursuing relations with the monarchies of the …
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Flawed American Sanctions Policy on Iran
Nov 9, 2018Daniel BrumbergThe capacity of the United States and its regional friends to affect the Middle East’s geostrategic map could diminish further as flaws in the American strateg…
- Viewpoint
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIs the United States Serious about Ending the Yemen Conflict?
Nov 2, 2018Khalil E. JahshanBipartisan congressional pressure and the Khashoggi murder may have forced the Trump Administration to revise its position on Yemen.
- Policy Analysis
SyriaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWill the Istanbul Summit Offer Hope for Syria?
Nov 1, 2018Joe MacaronThe Istanbul summit on Syria was the first serious attempt in years to advance a viable Syrian political process; but obstacles remain, including American-Russ…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSochi Agreement on Idlib Tests Russian-Turkish Relations
Oct 19, 2018Joe MacaronThe irregularities in implementing the Sochi Agreement regarding Idlib will put Russian-Turkish relations to the test and may doom the Idlib ceasefire.
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionOslo at 25: Long Dead and Now Finally Buried?
Sep 24, 2018Yousef MunayyerFor 25 years, the Oslo process has been dying a slow death because of Palestinian weakness, overemphasis on ensuring Israeli security, and the Trump Administra…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionComplications of the Houthis’ Role in the Red Sea
Aug 23, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Houthis’ attack on two Saudi Arabian tankers near the Bab al-Mandab waterway prompts questions about whether they and Iran can disrupt shipping in the Red …
- Viewpoint
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionCongress is Rattled by the US Role in Yemen—But Will It Matter?
Aug 22, 2018Marcus MontgomeryCriticism from Capitol Hill has been largely symbolic because few in the Republican majorities in the House and Senate have opted to challenge the president on…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionShifting the Balance of Power from Ramallah to Gaza
Aug 17, 2018Khalil E. JahshanIf successfully implemented, the latest agreement on a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas may pave the way for a radical change in Palestinian power from the …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWhy Are Israel and Hamas Negotiating a Cease-fire Now?
Aug 16, 2018Yousef MunayyerAs the Trump Administration speaks of a “deal of the century,” questions arise about why Israel and Hamas are negotiating for a truce in the Gaza Strip.
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Ticking Time Bomb of Northern Syria
Aug 15, 2018Mustafa GurbuzThe Assad regime’s coming Idlib offensive will cause serious troubles and endanger the US security structure in northern Syria.
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionPutin Arbitrates Iran’s Presence in Syria
Aug 10, 2018Daniel BrumbergRumors of a rocky Russian-Iranian alliance have been greatly exaggerated. Putin as arbiter in Syria will only do what serves Russia’s influence there.
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Dangerous Confusion in US Iran Policy
Aug 7, 2018Charles W. DunneThe latest Trump Iran tweet and announcement revealed a lack of a coherent Iran policy in the wake of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA regulating Iran’s nuclea…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Future of Iraqi-Kuwaiti Relations: Overcoming a Troubled History
Jul 10, 2018Gregory AftandilianIraq and Kuwait are developing cordial relations after an acrimonious history. Kuwait wants a stable and non-threatening neighbor while Iraq seeks Kuwait’s fin…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Egypt-Ethiopia Nile Water Crisis: a Cause for Regional Tensions?
Jul 5, 2018Daniel StollWhile the Ethiopian dam on the Nile could be a source of conflict in east Africa, and while relations among Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan will remain unsettled fo…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Raging—and Surprising—Battle for Southern Syria
Jul 5, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe Syrian regime began its assault on the southern city of Daraa toward the end of June, assisted as elsewhere in Syria by Russian warplanes and Iran-supporte…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionPompeo Digs a Deeper Hole for US Iran Policy
Jun 5, 2018Daniel BrumbergPompeo's May 21 speech indicates that where Iran is concerned, the US is returning to a policy of "zero enrichment" backed up by economic warfare. But the Whit…
- Policy Analysis
QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Needless Crisis in the Arabian Gulf
Jun 5, 2018Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe Trump Administration would do well to work with the Saudis and Emiratis to identify a face-saving way to back down and end the blockade of Qatar.
- Viewpoint
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAn Accord for Libya?
Jun 1, 2018Imad K. HarbAmid the many conflicts rending the Arab world today, the one in Libya recently took a hopeful turn toward a peace process despite the violence still wracking …
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAnti-Qatar Embargo Grinds Toward Strategic Failure
Jun 1, 2018Gabriel Collins“The experience of the past thus clearly suggests that blockades or embargoes do not always produce the results originally sought when the decision for action …
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIraq will Remain a US-Iran Point of Contention
May 31, 2018Gregory AftandilianThe United States’ more belligerent position toward Iran, in the wake of the Trump Administration’s recent withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, is likely to …
- Viewpoint
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Crack in the Russian-Iranian Alliance in Syria?
May 23, 2018Joe MacaronIn a rare instance since the Russian intervention in Syria in September 2015, the policy differences between Moscow and Tehran have become public. This raised …
- Viewpoint
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Dangerous Israeli-Iranian Escalation in Syria
May 11, 2018Joe MacaronIn the most dangerous escalation since the establishment of the Golan Heights ceasefire line in 1973, Israel and Iran exchanged fire in southwestern Syria unde…
- Viewpoint
EgyptConflicts and Conflict ResolutionDeploying Arab Forces in Syria is not Advisable, nor Possible
May 10, 2018Radwan ZiadehOver the last few months, President Donald Trump has made announcements that regional states should bear more of the burden of ridding Syria of the so-called I…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionExternal Actors Complicate Resolving the Yemeni Conflict
Apr 25, 2018Gregory AftandilianAlthough the Houthis and the Hadi government show no signs of compromise, Yemen’s conflict continues to drag on largely because external actors are pursuing ag…
- Viewpoint
LibyaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionHaftar’s Illness and Libya’s Troubles
Apr 20, 2018Imad K. HarbLibya’s confusing political environment just became a little more so with the reported illness of strongman General Khalifa Haftar. He is commander of the so-c…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Kosovo Model for Syria
Apr 17, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe April 13, 2018, American-British-French strike on Syria was wider in scope and effect than that of April 2017 on Shairat Air Base; both conducted as punish…
- Policy Analysis
SudanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionEgyptian-Sudanese Relations on the Mend, but Tensions Remain
Apr 16, 2018Gregory AftandilianEgyptian-Sudanese relations are currently improving although the nature of their ties over the years remains prone to rapid change. Part of their problems are …
- Viewpoint
Conflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Forgotten Arab League
Apr 11, 2018Joe MacaronOn April 15, the summit of the League of Arab States will be convened in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It will serve as a reminder that Arabs have a regional, albeit f…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Mysterious Strike Renews Israel-US Coordination in Syria
Apr 10, 2018Joe MacaronThe Israeli strike on Iranian assets in Syria last Monday and the imminent US strike on Syria renew the US-Israeli coordination there for the first time since …
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Super-Hawks on Iran May Make the US the Biggest Loser
Apr 10, 2018Daniel BrumbergThe super-hawks President Trump appointed in his administration may very well get the United States into a conflagration with Iran despite international satisf…
- Policy Analysis
QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Doubts Surrounding Trump’s Work on GCC Reconciliation
Apr 9, 2018Imad K. HarbConditions in the Gulf and in Washington do not augur well for Trump-led successful negotiations to resolve the GCC crisis, although all players are making the…
- Policy Analysis
JordanConflicts and Conflict ResolutionJordan’s Four Worst-case Scenarios on Its Syrian Border
Mar 30, 2018Joe MacaronJordan faces four worst-case scenarios as the US-Russia ceasefire agreement is gradually collapsing in southwestern Syria. Amman’s options to limit the damage …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionHell on Earth: The World Forsakes Syria’s Eastern Ghouta
Feb 28, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe people of this district near Damascus are being exposed to relentless aerial bombing and ground attacks that have killed over 500 civilians, including many…
- Policy Analysis
QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionUS Allies Upstage Tillerson’s Mideast Tour
Feb 27, 2018Joe MacaronIsrael and Turkey dominated Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s first expanded high level trip to the Middle East as US foreign policy faces new regional challe…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionEastern Ghouta: Syria’s “Hell on Earth”
Feb 23, 2018Khalil E. JahshanIn recent weeks, the Assad regime and its supporters have subjected the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta to one of the most violent attacks of the seven-year …
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAbbas Reassures UNSC of Palestinian Commitment to Just and Lasting Peace
Feb 20, 2018Khalil E. JahshanPalestinian president Mahmoud Abbas delivered today his long-anticipated speech to the UN Security Council. His objective was essentially two-fold, he wanted f…
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionMahmoud Abbas at the UN Security Council
Feb 20, 2018Imad K. HarbWhat was most noticeable in Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s peace plan was his reaffirmation that the Arab Peace Initiative (API) of 2002 remai…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLike Quicksand, Many Issues Threaten to Engulf Lebanon
Feb 13, 2018Imad K. HarbAs it approaches the highly anticipated round of legislative elections on May 6, Lebanon finds itself bereft of a cohesive political center that can withstand …
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA change in the American rules of engagement in Syria
Feb 9, 2018Radwan ZiadehThe American forces in northeastern Syria intervened in the Deir Ezzor area to protect and defend their local ally, the Syrian Democratic Forces. An estimated …
- Viewpoint
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionRussia has abandoned all restraint in its support of Assad
Feb 8, 2018Imad K. HarbIt appears that Russia has decided to fully throw in its weight behind Bashar al-Assad’s regime and in fact take part in bombing civilian targets. I think Russ…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionFits and Starts Characterize UN Mediation in Yemen, Syria, and Libya
Feb 7, 2018Mohammed CherkaouiUnited Nations diplomacy regarding Yemen, Syria, and Libya may be undergoing a period of fatigue, or perhaps exhaustion, in searching for efficient formulas to…










