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QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionQatar-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 Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationThe Independence Referendum: A Pyrrhic Victory for Barzani
Jul 10, 2017Mustafa GurbuzThe 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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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 …
- 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
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
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
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
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 AnalysisEnergy and Economics
The 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 AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Obstacles 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 AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
J 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 AnalysisInternational Law
Trump’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 AnalysisRegional Relations and Geopolitics
How 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 AnalysisLebanonUS Foreign Policy
The 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 AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Netanyahu 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
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 …
- Policy AnalysisLibyaUS Foreign Policy
Libya after ISIL: What Will Trump Do?
Feb 15, 2017Joe MacaronIt is safe to say that at present, Libya might not be high on the agenda of President Donald Trump’s Administration. In December 2016, the Islamic State in Ira…
- Policy AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Receiving Netanyahu, Trump Must Emphasize America’s Interests
Feb 14, 2017Imad K. HarbPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to Washington this week to officially reset US-Israeli relations after the chill of the last few years of the Obama Adm…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCC
Developments in Yemen and American Strategic Calculations
Feb 8, 2017Imad K. HarbIt has been three years since Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference concluded its work to set the stage for a constitution for a six-region federated state. Thi…
- Policy AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Iran and Trump’s Strategy in the Gulf Region: What’s Next?
Feb 8, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabIran’s recent launch of a medium range ballistic missile played to the Trump Administration’s expectations of Iranian behavior regarding strategic weaponry in …
- Policy AnalysisSecurity and Defense
“America First” Will Compromise Homeland Security and Disrupt American Soft Power
Feb 7, 2017Mustafa GurbuzThe Trump Administration’s two promises—pursuing an “America first” policy and exterminating radical jihadism—require an investment in American soft power that…
- Policy AnalysisIranIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
General Mattis and Iraq: Motivations and Apprehensions
Feb 3, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe appointment of retired US General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense comes during cautious times for both Iraqis and Americans. The Iraqis are anticipati…
- Policy AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Netanyahu Unrestrained: The Trump Effect on Israeli Politics
Feb 3, 2017Yousef MunayyerBackgroundSince 2009, there have been two constants in the American-Israeli relationship: Barack Obama was President of the United States and Benjamin Netanyah…
- Policy AnalysisJordanSecurity and Defense
Jordan’s King Abdallah in Washington: ISIL and Jerusalem
Feb 1, 2017Joe MacaronIn what was described as a working visit, Jordan’s King Abdullah II arrived on January 30, 2017, and became the first Arab leader to come to Washington since t…
- Policy AnalysisDemocracy and Governance
Ten Days of Trump: Prospects for Democracy and Human Rights vis-à-vis the Arab World
Feb 1, 2017Tamara KharroubIn his first 10 days in office, President Trump signed executive orders and made statements that greatly influence US foreign policy, from suspending refugee r…
- Policy AnalysisJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Strategic Costs of the Muslim Ban
Jan 30, 2017Imad K. HarbThe Trump Administration’s first week has clearly exposed both its limited depth in strategic thinking and, worse, its lack of commitment to US leadership arou…
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
Syria and Iraq in the Age of Trump: Challenges to American Interests
Jan 25, 2017Imad K. HarbNow that the Trump Administration has taken over the reins of American diplomatic and military power, questions arise about how it intends to preserve America’…
- Policy AnalysisOmanThe GCC
Oman’s Needed Adjustment During the Trump Presidency
Jan 18, 2017Imad K. HarbThe Sultanate of Oman has arguably always been an outlier regarding unified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) action since the organization’s establishment in 198…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Battle for DNC Chair: Palestine and Democratic Party Politics after Trump’s Election
Jan 17, 2017Tamara Kharroub2016 was a tumultuous year for the Democratic Party. Democrats lost the White House, both houses of Congress, and a large number of gubernatorial races (two-th…
- Policy AnalysisLevantUS Foreign Policy
Washington Rebalancing Away from the Middle East? Realities and Difficulties
Jan 9, 2017Imad K. HarbIn a speech to the Australian parliament in November 2011, President Barack Obama declared that the Asia-Pacific region had become a “top priority” in US secur…
- Policy AnalysisLevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections
Recalculating Route: America and Israel on Divergent Paths
Jan 3, 2017Yousef MunayyerIn May 2016, I wrote that the Obama Administration should carefully weigh options for how to address the Israeli/Palestinian issue during its last months in of…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Breaking Ground in Jerusalem
Dec 22, 2016Yousef MunayyerSome things are utterly predictable. The sun will always rise in the east, rain will always be wet, and US presidential candidates who promise to move the Amer…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
Trump’s “Ultimate Deal” on Palestine/Israel
Dec 8, 2016Tamara KharroubIn the first interview after his election victory, Donald J. Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he wants to broker a deal between Israel and the Palestini…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The “Incredible” John Kerry: Ineffectiveness and Inconsistency
Dec 8, 2016Yousef MunayyerIt was painful to watch. Secretary of State John Kerry trying to explain and defend American foreign policy in the Middle East is such an uncomfortable sight. …
- Policy AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
November 8: What’s at stake for the Arab world?
Nov 7, 2016Joe MacaronWhat motivates the Arab world’s interest in the 2016 US presidential election is primarily the concern about Washington’s role in the Middle East as well as th…
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
Arab Issues Awaiting the Next President
Nov 7, 2016Imad K. HarbAmidst the maelstrom that is the presidential election, American foreign policy has regressed to the uncomfortable and neglected recesses reserved for untoucha…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Battle of Mosul Portends the Future of Iraq
Oct 28, 2016Imad K. HarbThe long-awaited battle to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is underway. Months prior, the Iraqi army and police,…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
‘Underlearning’ the Lessons of Iraq: American Agility and Russian Influence
Oct 20, 2016Yousef MunayyerPerhaps one of the most cited criticisms of US foreign policy relating to Syria today is the notion that President Barack Obama has “overlearned” the lessons o…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptSecurity and Defense
Future US-Egyptian Relations: The Old Status Quo Redux
Oct 13, 2016Imad K. HarbA long time ago, there appeared to be a symbiotic relationship between the United States and Egypt. The former was a strategic benefactor that understood the i…
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Doomed to Fail: Syria is not Ready for a Ceasefire
Sep 23, 2016Joe MacaronFor the second time in nearly six months, Washington and Moscow are striving to implement a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. The ultimate objective of establishi…
- Policy AnalysisLevantSecurity and Defense
New US-Israeli Military Aid Package Reflects Shifts in Relationship
Sep 15, 2016Yousef MunayyerOn September 14, 2016 the United States and Israel signed a new 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on military aid, which replaces a previous MOU set to…
- Policy AnalysisLevantRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The US fatal mistake in northern Syria
Aug 31, 2016Joe MacaronThe moment the Turkish incursion into Syrian Territory began on August 24, the stage was set for a looming direct military confrontation between Ankara a…
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
Biden in Ankara enticing Erdogan to weigh his options
Aug 24, 2016Joe MacaronVice President Joe Biden visited Ankara on August 24 to salvage the remnants of US interests in Turkey. The July 15 military coup attempt left President Recep …
- Policy AnalysisLevantConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The State Department’s “Dissent Memo” and US Options in Syria
Jul 6, 2016Radwan ZiadehOn June 16, 2016, a dissent memo regarding Syria was filed with the Director of Policy Planning at the US State Department criticizing the Obama Administration…
- Policy AnalysisIranReligion and Politics
Battle over Fallujah Tests US-Iran Tacit Deal against ISIL
Jun 3, 2016Joe MacaronAs Major General Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s al-Quds Force, was reportedly spotted in the northern outskirts of the besieged city of Fallujah, …
- Policy AnalysisLevantUS Domestic Politics and Elections
Why the World Shouldn’t Panic About Trump
Jun 1, 2016Joe Macaron“Everything I say right now is a suggestion, I am not the President,” the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told Fox News on May 13. However, his …
- Policy AnalysisLevantInternational Law
Navigating Pitfalls and Opportunities: Obama’s Parting Shot on Israel/Palestine
May 17, 2016Yousef MunayyerPresident Obama, who gave his first interview to Al-Arabiya in 2009 and spoke again few months later in his Cairo address about Palestinian aspirations, is now…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Paris Initiative and US Middle East Policy: Paving the Way for the 4th Intifada – Why justice is the only roadmap to peace
May 16, 2016Tamara KharroubIn the middle of the US presidential election season, France has elected to take the opportunity and break the US monopoly over the Middle East peace process, …
- Policy AnalysisLevantJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Coming Change in US-Israel Relations
May 10, 2016Yousef MunayyerThe discussion on Israel at the most recent Democratic presidential debate is but the latest benchmark in progress down a road on which the American people hav…
- Policy AnalysisIranRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Wanted: A US Strategy in the Middle East
Apr 11, 2016Yousef MunayyerIn 2006, as Israel and Hezbollah were engaged in what would be a 34day war, the longest of any ArabIsraeli war since 1948, US Secretary of State Condoleezza …
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
The Obama Doctrine from a Middle East Perspective: Orientalism, Inaction, Contradiction, and Lack of Accountability
Mar 18, 2016Tamara KharroubIn a lengthy narrative collection of conversations and interviews with President Obama and others, journalist Jeffry Goldberg’s tedious tale of “The Obama Doct…
- Policy AnalysisLevantUS Foreign Policy
US in Libya: The Challenges of a Third Front against ISIL
Feb 25, 2016Joe MacaronPresident Barack Obama’s Administration is considering the opening of a critical third front against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Libya. …
- Policy AnalysisIranSecurity and Defense
The Emergence of a New Triangular Relationship in the Middle East
Jan 29, 2016Joe MacaronThe implementation of the Iran nuclear deal on January 16 reinforced the emergence of a new triangular relationship in the Middle East involving the United Sta…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Imagining a Conflict Resolution in Syria: Implications for US Policy
Dec 1, 2015Joe MacaronThe Vienna talks on October 30 launched the third international attempt to resolve the four-year-old conflict in Syria, proposing an end to violence “as soon a…
