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- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Abbas 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…
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Mahmoud 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 AnalysisLebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Like 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 …
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A 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 …
- ViewpointLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Russia 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 AnalysisSaudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Fits 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…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
An Unsettling Overview of the Middle East in 2018
Feb 2, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabIt 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 AnalysisJordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Palestinian Bet on the EU Could be an Opportunity for Washington
Jan 25, 2018Joe MacaronThe United States should remain engaged in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and President Abbas’ visit to Europe may have provided the Trump Administratio…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Turkey’s Kurdish Conundrum in Syria
Jan 24, 2018Mustafa GurbuzAs Turkey conducts its military operations against Syrian Kurdish militiamen ostensibly to secure its border with Syria, it finds itself needing to reconcile d…
- Policy AnalysisOmanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Determinants of Oman’s Strategic Position on the Gulf Crisis
Jan 23, 2018Imad K. HarbAs 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 AnalysisEgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Egyptian and Jordanian Relations with Israel under Strain
Jan 10, 2018Gregory AftandilianGenerally cordial and cooperative, Egyptian and Jordanian relations with Israel are currently strained following provocative actions by the U.S. and Israel on …
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Using Its Syrian Foothold, Russia Expands in the Middle East
Dec 14, 2017Charles W. DunneRussia’s victory in Syria does not merely prop up the Assad regime but, more broadly, helps propel Moscow’s strategic interests in the wider Middle East.
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Arab Normalization with Israel Frames Trump Peace Plan
Nov 22, 2017Yousef MunayyerPresident Trump’s peace plan in the Middle East embraces the “outside-in” approach for peace between Palestinians and Israelis with a risky Arab-Israeli normal…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Trump Embraces the Saudi Vision of the Yemen Conflict
Nov 22, 2017Gregory AftandilianPresident 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 AnalysisNorth AfricaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Emerging Security Challenges in North and West Africa
Nov 8, 2017Mohammed CherkaouiThe appearance of stability in the countries of north and west Africa belies a dangerous reality of the existence of many extremist groups feeding on poor soci…
- Policy AnalysisJordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Bilateral Disagreements Aside, Jordan and Israel Agree on Syria
Nov 7, 2017Gregory AftandilianJordan and Israel view military activities by Sunni extremists groups and by Hezbollah as threats and are using their developing ties with Russia to try to mit…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Is Palestinian Reconciliation Viable This Time?
Nov 3, 2017Khalil E. JahshanThe Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement is the product of political manipulation between parties that lack confidence in each other’s strategic objectives. Th…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A Century after Balfour: Israel’s Knesset Wants All of Palestine
Nov 2, 2017Yousef MunayyerA hundred years after the Balfour Declaration, Israeli lawmakers are slated to take legislative steps that, instead of moving toward democracy, would only doub…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Raqqa’s Liberation and US Policy in Syria
Oct 31, 2017Radwan ZiadehThe Islamic State’s defeat in Raqqa was met with widespread approval among all Syrians, but the Kurds’ control of the liberated city and its surroundings promp…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Libya’s Complicated Search for a Leader
Oct 24, 2017Mohammed CherkaouiLibya faces an uneasy distinction between a fragile state and a failed state and has fallen between the cracks of a dispute over legitimacy, struggle for power…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Kirkuk Battle Is a Watershed Event for Iraq
Oct 19, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Iraqi central government harnessed domestic and international support to abort the Kurdish referendum for independence, in the process weakening the KRG’s …
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Mahmoud Abbas: A Lone Voice in the UN Wilderness
Sep 29, 2017Khalil E. JahshanPresident Abbas’s speech before the United Nations was true to the Palestinian essentials of appealing for justice in Palestine, denouncing Israel’s excesses a…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Strategic Implications of Reopening the Baghdad-Amman Highway
Sep 29, 2017Joe MacaronWhile 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Future Implications of the Islamic State’s Demise in Syria
Sep 20, 2017Radwan ZiadehSyria’s developments regarding the Islamic State’s expected demise and the Astana meeting should not be taken to signal an end to the country’s war which has l…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Trump Administration’s Wishful Policies in the Yemen Conflict
Sep 13, 2017Gregory AftandilianProlonging 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 AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Troubling Ambiguities in the UAE’s Role in Yemen
Sep 8, 2017Imad K. HarbThe 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 AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Can the Gulf Cooperation Council Survive the Current Crisis?
Sep 7, 2017Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Will Netanyahu’s Legal Troubles Break the Stalemate?
Aug 31, 2017Yousef MunayyerWith or without Benyamin Netanyahu, there is little reason to believe that any likely foreseeable Israeli government will be ready for peace with the Palestini…
- Policy AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Is the Turkey-Iran Rapprochement Durable in Iraq and Syria?
Aug 24, 2017Mustafa GurbuzGiven 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Stakeholders of the Syrian Conflict Divide the Pie
Aug 23, 2017Joe MacaronThe recent local and regional developments in Syria signal that it is entering a new phase where major powers are coming to terms with a compromise that the Sy…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Still Elusive Libyan Peace
Aug 17, 2017Imad K. HarbThe political impasse in Libya may pave the way for a final collapse of the nearly failed Libyan state and the subsequent divorce between the eastern and weste…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution
An Economic Explanation for Egypt’s Alignment in the GCC Crisis
Aug 9, 2017Imad K. HarbWith 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 AnalysisLebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Stretched over Two Borders, Hezbollah is Making Israel Anxious
Aug 8, 2017Joe MacaronIn the long run, the risks of confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah may largely depend on how the US-Russia deal will unfold in southern Syria.
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Taylor Force Act: Putting the Palestinian Authority on Notice
Aug 3, 2017Marcus MontgomerySenators have agreed to revise a bill that will put the Palestinian Authority on notice, conditioning US aid to the PA on ending payments to Palestinian prison…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Improving Iraq-GCC Relations: No Time Like the Present
Jul 27, 2017Charles W. DunneIraq’ 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 AnalysisQatarConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The GCC Crisis: Media, Hacks, and the Emergence of “Cyber Power”
Jul 25, 2017Tamara KharroubMedia 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 AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Day after Mosul’s Liberation
Jul 25, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabCrafting 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Palestine Recentered
Jul 25, 2017Yousef MunayyerThe Jerusalem events show that the Palestine issue remains central to the region and that a serious, sustained, and committed engagement in its resolution is p…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Arab Peace Initiative is Back on the Table; Netanyahu Is Not Budging
Jul 24, 2017Gregory AftandilianThe Arab Peace Initiative has not gone anywhere since it was launched in 2002. Developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict do not inspire confidence that …
- Policy AnalysisQatarConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Stupendous Hubris…and Its Damage
Jul 18, 2017Imad K. HarbRevelations 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 AnalysisJordanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Jordan and the US-Russia Deal in Southern Syria
Jul 12, 2017Joe MacaronThe recent ceasefire agreement for southern Syria and the Syrian regime’s military campaigns may be turning points in Jordan’s position on the war in Syria.
- Policy AnalysisQatarConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Qatar-US Memorandum of Understanding: A Game Changer
Jul 11, 2017Imad K. HarbThe 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 AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Current 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 AnalysisQatarConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Absent 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 AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The 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 AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The 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 AnalysisQatarConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Saudi, 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
How 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A 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 AnalysisQatarConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Why 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 AnalysisEgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Egyptian-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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The 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 AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A 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 AnalysisEgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Turkish-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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Netanyahu’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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Beyond 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 AnalysisSaudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Cautionary 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Abbas’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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
President 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Is 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 AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Trump 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…
- Research PaperMoroccoConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The 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 AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Next 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Israel’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 AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Deterring 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 AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A 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.