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- Policy Analysis
The Doubts Surrounding Trump’s Work on GCC Reconciliation
Apr 9, 2018Conditions 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
Pompeo Unlikely to Press for Human Rights in the Arab Region
Mar 29, 2018In contrast to Tillerson, who raised human rights and democracy concerns in some Arab states, Pompeo is unlikely to do so given his ideology and desire to stay…
- Policy Analysis
Who is John Bolton? A Political Profile of the Next National Security Advisor
Mar 23, 2018With the appointment of John Bolton as national security advisor, the United States risks turning the National Security Council into an echo chamber of hyper-n…
- Viewpoint
Trump’s Transactional Relationship with Saudi Arabia
Mar 22, 2018The March 21, 2018 press conference between US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) must rank among the most surreal…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the Yemeni Hemorrhage
Mar 20, 2018It is necessary to point out that the Saudi-led intervention in March 2015 has exacerbated human suffering and underscored the differences between Yemen’s elit…
- Policy Analysis
The Many Complications of Returning Islamic State Fighters
Mar 19, 2018As the Islamic State (IS) transforms into a flat organization with autonomous cells around the globe, the foreign fighters returning to their home countries po…
- Policy Analysis
Firing Tillerson Leaves US Diplomacy in Limbo
Mar 15, 2018Tillerson’s firing comes at a critical time in US foreign policy. New dynamics are emerging in the Trump Administration and the successor Mike Pompeo should ba…
- Policy Analysis
A Saudi Comeback to Lebanese Politics?
Mar 14, 2018Nearly 100 days after his mysterious “captivity” in the Saudi capital, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri visited Riyadh again on February 28. The timing c…
- Policy Analysis
Who is Mike Pompeo? A Political Profile of the Nominee for US Secretary of State
Mar 13, 2018When considering his policy positions, temperament, and personal relationship with President Trump, Pompeo is almost the polar opposite of outgoing Secretary o…
- Viewpoint
Tillerson’s Departure: Implications for Middle East Policy
Mar 13, 2018President Donald Trump’s sacking of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has important ramifications for US policy in the Middle East, and specifically toward the …
- Policy Analysis
Strategic Considerations of the UAE’s Role in Yemen
Mar 9, 2018There are legitimate questions about whether the UAE is interested in keeping Yemen unified and sovereign under a national government recognized by the interna…
- Policy Analysis
Will Trump Further Militarize the Arab World?
Feb 28, 2018Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the Arab world may be poised for increased militarization as he pushes for military sales and it experiences nu…
- Policy Analysis
US Allies Upstage Tillerson’s Mideast Tour
Feb 27, 2018Israel 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…
- Policy Analysis
Turkey’s Challenge to Arab Interests in the Horn of Africa
Feb 22, 2018Turkey’s policies and many activities around the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa have added complications to the already complex strategic picture of the Middle…
- Policy Analysis
Is There a US Policy Toward the Kurds in Iraq and Syria?
Feb 21, 2018Recent tensions between the United States and Turkey over US support for the Syrian Kurds have brought to the forefront the issue of US policy toward the Kurdi…
- Policy Analysis
Can Iran’s Minorities Be Used against the Regime?
Feb 9, 2018The heightened tension and antagonistic discourse between Saudi Arabia and Iran help Tehran legitimize its security policies in the country and to “alert” its …
- Policy Analysis
The US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue: Messages and Implications
Feb 8, 2018The most consequential outcome of the US-Qatar strategic dialogue is the US official declaration of “readiness to work jointly with Qatar to deter and confront…
- Policy Analysis
Jordanian-Iraqi Relations on the Mend, but Problems Remain
Feb 8, 2018Economic necessities and opposition to the so-called Islamic State have brought Jordan and Iraq closer together, but Amman remains concerned about Baghdad’s li…
- Policy Analysis
Fits and Starts Characterize UN Mediation in Yemen, Syria, and Libya
Feb 7, 2018United Nations diplomacy regarding Yemen, Syria, and Libya may be undergoing a period of fatigue, or perhaps exhaustion, in searching for efficient formulas to…
- Policy Analysis
An Unsettling Overview of the Middle East in 2018
Feb 2, 2018It is clear from ongoing developments in the Middle East that the United States and Russia will continue to play a role that meets their own national interests…
- Policy Analysis
The Aden Battle and Yemen’s De Facto Partition
Feb 2, 2018It is clear from ongoing developments in the Middle East that the United States and Russia will continue to play a role that meets their own national interests…
- Policy Analysis
The Middle East Nuclear Picture: Peaceful Programs or Not, Cause for Concern
Feb 2, 2018Focusing solely on the Iranian nuclear program has made Washington oblivious to some significant nuclear developments in other parts of the Middle East.
- Policy Analysis
Determinants of Oman’s Strategic Position on the Gulf Crisis
Jan 23, 2018As Oman seeks to steer a neutral course in the ongoing GCC crisis, Omani decision-makers worry that what happened with Qatar may be justified against their own…
- Policy Analysis
Abdulwahab al-Qassab: Iraq’s Sectarian Parties Will Win Elections
Jan 16, 2018Religious parties, both Shia and Sunni, are best positioned to win Iraq’s parliamentary elections in 2018. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi cannot escape his sec…
- Policy Analysis
Unsettling Times for Iraqi Kurdistan
Jan 10, 2018The Sulaymaniyah protests last December have revealed a deep split in Iraqi Kurdistan. By pitting Sulaymaniyah against Irbil, Baghdad aims to capitalize on the…
- Policy Analysis
The Middle East in 2018: A Trump Administration To-Do List
Jan 9, 2018US Middle East priorities in 2018 include Iran, the fate of the two-state solution, and managing instability in Iraq and Syria. US policy confusion and lack of…
- Policy Analysis
Regime Unity Will Decide the Fate of Iran’s Protests
Jan 4, 2018Iranian protesters’ slogans and demands indicate that there is much angst and frustration with the slow pace of political reform, the glacial movement of econo…
- Policy Analysis
Costly Mistakes in Saudi Decision-Making in Yemen and Lebanon
Dec 27, 2017Saudi Arabia’s mistakes and poor decision-making in Yemen and Lebanon have been at the heart of recent failures to deal with the two countries and have allowed…
- Policy Analysis
Press Freedom Reversals in Post-Arab Spring Countries
Dec 18, 2017Just like the path to democratization and reform has been obstructed or derailed in most of the Arab Spring countries, so has the path to media freedom, in a p…
- Policy Analysis
Implications of Saleh’s Assassination on Yemen’s Future
Dec 8, 2017For the Iranian regime, Yemen remains a low-risk investment at Saudi Arabia’s border; and the impression in Tehran is that Saleh’s assassination forced Riyadh’…
- Policy Analysis
The GCC’s Future Is in the Balance after Its 38th Summit Meeting
Dec 7, 2017The GCC should be preserved despite the failure of its 38th summit meeting in Kuwait and the establishment of a Saudi Arabian-Emirati new political and militar…
- Policy Analysis
Missing Considerations of the Counterterrorism Alliance
Nov 29, 2017The first meeting of the Islamic Military Counterterrorism Coalition, which took place in Riyadh, may have provided recognition of MbS’s leadership of the Musl…
- Policy Analysis
US Military Planning in the Middle East: Increasing Challenges, Vague Strategies
Nov 28, 2017Uncertainties about US military policy, intentions, and ambitions in the Middle East together with many political challenges and developments increase the conf…
- Policy Analysis
Trump Embraces the Saudi Vision of the Yemen Conflict
Nov 22, 2017President Trump has adopted the Saudi leadership’s position that the Yemen conflict is a case of Iranian and proxy adventurism that needs to be rolled back and…
- Policy Analysis
Is Power Trumping Legitimacy in Saudi Arabia?
Nov 16, 2017Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Machiavellianism endangers at least three pillars of legitimate rule in Saudi Arabia: royal family consensual decision-making, con…
- Policy Analysis
US Curbs Saudi Arabia’s Surge in Lebanon
Nov 14, 2017Clear statements from the White House and the Department of State appear to have curbed the Saudi surge in Beirut and toned down Riyadh’s rhetoric against the …
- Policy Analysis
Iraq’s Disputed Territories: A Worrisome Achilles’ Heel
Nov 13, 2017Two major factors will help shape the future of Iraq’s disputed territories. One is the population dynamic, given the influx of internal refugees, and the othe…
- Policy Analysis
Policy Recommendations for the Trump Administration
Nov 9, 2017The last session of the second annual conference of Arab Center Washington DC, held on October 26, 2017, concentrated on policy recommendations for the future.…
- Policy Analysis
Is Mohammed bin Salman Overplaying His Hand?
Nov 6, 2017Mohammed bin Salman may think that consolidating power in his hands will help the kingdom face its challenges, but he would do well to know that sidelining imp…
- Policy Analysis
Amid Regional Chaos, US Seeks Improved Saudi-Iraqi Ties
Nov 6, 2017Despite many pitfalls, the Trump Administration is quite keen on helping to improve relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in an effort to contain Iranian inf…
- Policy Analysis
Ankara’s Ambiguous Policy toward a Divided GCC
Oct 30, 2017As a key player in the GCC crisis, Turkey has tried to support Qatar while avoiding potential deterioration in Ankara-GCC relations, which would result in nega…
- Policy Analysis
Domestic Troubles for the Saudi Arabian Leadership
Oct 24, 2017Mohammed bin Salman’s challenge to established norms of governance in Saudi Arabia and the abrupt changes in its economic and social conditions may help pull t…
- Policy Analysis
The Kirkuk Battle Is a Watershed Event for Iraq
Oct 19, 2017The Iraqi central government harnessed domestic and international support to abort the Kurdish referendum for independence, in the process weakening the KRG’s …
- Policy Analysis
The Art of (Decertifying) the Deal: Trump’s Iran Strategy and the Nuclear Agreement’s Future
Oct 17, 2017The president’s decertifying the Iran nuclear deal does not terminate US participation in the JCPOA but opens the door to such a move, roils US relations with …
- Policy Analysis
Will US, Saudi Pressure Deter Hezbollah in Lebanon?
Oct 12, 2017Given the current status quo in Lebanon, the best American and Saudi pressure can do is to make the country’s political environment unbearable for Hezbollah.
- Policy Analysis
The Kurdish Referendum and Cross-Communal Dynamics in Iraq
Oct 12, 2017While Abadi’s popularity has risen because of his stewardship of the successful anti-Islamic State campaign, his standing could be jeopardized if the crisis ov…
- Policy Analysis
Does Turkey Really Want to Punish Iraqi Kurdistan?
Oct 3, 2017Turkey may feel that it has to impose punitive measures against Iraqi Kurdistan over the referendum but countervailing Turkish domestic political conditions ma…
- Policy Analysis
Iraq’s Kurds Vote to Secede, but Problems Loom
Oct 2, 2017The widespread disapproval of the Kurdish referendum inside Iraq, the region, and internationally points to potential serious developments for the Kurds and a …
- Policy Analysis
The Strategic Implications of Reopening the Baghdad-Amman Highway
Sep 29, 2017While pivotal for Jordan’s and Iraq’s economies, the recent re-opening of the Amman-Baghdad highway has strategic and security implications for faraway powers …
- Policy Analysis
The Follies and Pitfalls of the Kurdish Referendum
Sep 22, 2017The Kurdish referendum is a dangerous play with delicate Kurdish and Iraqi politics to shore up KRG President Masood Barzani’s legitimacy in Iraqi Kurdistan.
- Policy Analysis
Trump’s United Nations Speech: More of the Same
Sep 20, 2017President Trump’s speech before the UN mixed isolationism and economic nationalism with calls for international consensus building, two irreconcilable position…
- Policy Analysis
The US and the GCC: A Steep Learning Curve for President Trump
Sep 18, 2017In its first year in office, the Trump Administration must work on remedying its shortcomings on Gulf affairs and strive to safeguard the GCC’s unity as a stra…
- Policy Analysis
The Trump Administration’s Wishful Policies in the Yemen Conflict
Sep 13, 2017Prolonging the Yemeni conflict with unending military assistance to the Saudi-led campaign has been a disaster. The long-suffering Yemeni people deserve a chan…
- Policy Analysis
Troubling Ambiguities in the UAE’s Role in Yemen
Sep 8, 2017The UAE’s ambiguous policies in Yemen expose the entire restoration of Yemeni legitimacy to uncertain circumstances, put it and Saudi Arabia at cross purposes,…
- Policy Analysis
Can the Gulf Cooperation Council Survive the Current Crisis?
Sep 7, 2017The GCC is likely to survive the current crisis, at least on paper, but to become far less relevant as policymaking is driven by younger decision-makers who ha…
- Policy Analysis
The Popular Mobilization Forces and Iraq’s Next Elections
Sep 6, 2017Multiple Shia parties are competing to benefit from the successes of the Popular Mobilization Forces in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq’s 2018 nati…
- Policy Analysis
An Evaluation of President Trump’s Emerging Counterterrorism Strategy
Aug 30, 2017President Trump’s counterterrorism strategy that relies on military solutions is unlikely to succeed in a region with complex politics, dubious allies, and lon…
- Policy Analysis
Is the Turkey-Iran Rapprochement Durable in Iraq and Syria?
Aug 24, 2017Given the historical nature of the Turkish-Iranian rivalry, a durable rapprochement between Turkey and Iran requires assurances about the future of the Kurds a…
- Policy Analysis
The Realities and Challenges of a New US SOFA with Iraq
Aug 15, 2017The United States and Iraq are currently negotiating a new Status of Forces Agreement that is contingent upon numerous domestic, regional, and American conditi…
- Policy Analysis
Potential for Intercommunal Violence in Iraq and Syria
Aug 9, 2017The legacy of authoritarianism, the rise of sectarian sentiments, ethno-nationalist aspirations, communal grievances about government neglect, and outside inte…
- Policy Analysis
An Economic Explanation for Egypt’s Alignment in the GCC Crisis
Aug 9, 2017With Egypt heavily reliant on Saudi Arabia and the UAE for its economic stability and survival, Cairo may not find much room for independent foreign policy dec…
- Policy Analysis
Existential Questions: Iraq Gears up for Elections
Aug 7, 2017Iraqi political forces are beginning to come together, pick fights, ingratiate themselves with potential foreign patrons, and evaluate the mood of the country …
- Policy Analysis
Mohammed bin Salman’s Elevation and the Way Forward
Aug 1, 2017Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman faces serious challenges in affirming Saudi Arabia’s domestic stability and addressing the fallout from the GCC crisis and the…
- Policy Analysis
Improving Iraq-GCC Relations: No Time Like the Present
Jul 27, 2017Iraq’ reintegration into the Arab world, particularly in terms of improving its relations with its Gulf neighbors, will support its stability as well as ensure…
- Policy Analysis
The GCC Crisis: Media, Hacks, and the Emergence of “Cyber Power”
Jul 25, 2017Media tools have been employed heavily in the GCC crisis to suppress freedom of the press and expression, indicating a shift from military and soft power to a …
- Policy Analysis
The Day after Mosul’s Liberation
Jul 25, 2017Crafting a new social and political order after the defeat of ISIL in Mosul, and elsewhere in Iraq, is a responsibility for the Iraqis, their allies, the regio…
- Policy Analysis
Turkey’s Hard Choices in Syria and Iraq
Jul 19, 2017Turkey finds itself in a strained position in post-Islamic State Syria and Iraq. It lacks leverage with Russia, the United States, and Iran and fears Kurdish a…
- Policy Analysis
Stupendous Hubris…and Its Damage
Jul 18, 2017Revelations in the Post article stand the entire GCC crisis on a new footing, now that tangible information has been made public and confirms the Qatari govern…
- Policy Analysis
Qatar-US Memorandum of Understanding: A Game Changer
Jul 11, 2017The MOU is a game changer and provides a significant milestone on the road to a political solution that preserves GCC unity, stability, and prosperity.
- Policy Analysis
Youth Unemployment Remains the Main Challenge in the Gulf States
Jul 11, 2017Persistently high youth unemployment remains the chief domestic challenge facing the Gulf states. Efforts to encourage the private sector to absorb new entrant…
- Policy Analysis
The Independence Referendum: A Pyrrhic Victory for Barzani
Jul 10, 2017The Kurdish decision to hold a referendum on independence from Iraq may bring happiness to the Kurds but will come at a heavy price for the Kurdish leadership.
- Policy Analysis
Current Competing Dynamics in the GCC Region
Jul 10, 2017The competing strategic dynamics of Gulf and other actors complicate the current crisis and make its resolution contingent upon sometimes divergent interests.
- Policy Analysis
Absent Rationality in the GCC Crisis
Jul 5, 2017Developments 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
The GCC in Turmoil: Repercussions of the Gulf Crisis on Iraq-GCC Relations
Jun 27, 2017Iraq 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
The Yemen Conflict and Its Elusive Political Solution
Jun 26, 2017Overshadowed 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
Legal Analysis of the Demands Presented to Qatar
Jun 26, 2017I. IntroductionOn June 23, 2017, Kuwait, acting as a mediator, presented Qatar with a thirteen-point list of demands on behalf of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi, UAE Demands to End Qatar Crisis: Commands, Diktats, and Ultimatums
Jun 23, 2017The 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
Kingmaker: The Rise of Mohammed bin Salman
Jun 22, 2017As Saudi King Salman appoints his 31-year-old son Mohammad bin Salman as Crown Prince, what are the implications for Saudi security, the GCC crisis and the reg…
- Policy Analysis
Foreign Policy Aspects of US Weapons Sales in the Gulf: What Does the United States Get Out of It?
Jun 22, 2017US 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
Impact of the GCC Crisis on Global Energy Markets
Jun 21, 2017While 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…