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- 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 AnalysisEgyptSecurity and Defense
Going 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…
- Research PaperMedia and Technology
Beyond Trump: Celebrity Candidates, Mediatization of Politics, and US Middle East Policy
Oct 20, 2015Tamara KharroubThe political and media discussions of the presidential campaigns have given great attention to some of the most flamboyant GOP nomination candidates (a.k.a. c…
- Policy AnalysisSyriaSecurity and Defense
Russia’s Middle East Moves and US Options
Oct 15, 2015Yousef MunayyerBackgroundIn recent weeks, Russia has taken quite significant and surprising steps to deepen and strengthen its support for the Assad regime in Syria. Russia h…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy
The Dynamics of Israeli Settler Terrorism and US Options
Sep 15, 2015Yousef MunayyerIntroductionOn July 31, 2015, Palestinian homes in the village of Duma in the occupied West Bank were set on fire at night by masked assailants who left behind…
- Policy AnalysisIranRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Iran Nuclear Deal and its Implications for the Region
Jul 31, 2015Yousef MunayyerThe agreement reached by the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and the US), the EU and the Islamic Republic of Iran over the latter’s nuclear progr…