• Washington Policy Weekly
    LevantReligion and Politics

    Congressional Update – Week Ending August 18, 2017

    Aug 18, 2017Marcus Montgomery

    The White House is set to try jumpstarting the Middle East peace process; the State Department launches its annual report on religious freedom; former CIA empl…

  • Op-Eds

    Imad K. Harb: To resolve the GCC crisis, keep Trump away

    Aug 17, 2017Imad K. Harb

    Secretary of State Rex Tillerson must insist on his independence in addressing the stalemate in the Gulf crisis.Read more

  • Policy Analysis
    LibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Still Elusive Libyan Peace

    Aug 17, 2017Imad K. Harb

    The 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 Analysis
    IraqSecurity and Defense

    The Realities and Challenges of a New US SOFA with Iraq

    The United States and Iraq are currently negotiating a new Status of Forces Agreement that is contingent upon numerous domestic, regional, and American conditi…

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    US Foreign Policy

    Congressional Update – Week Ending August 11, 2017

    Aug 11, 2017Marcus Montgomery

    While Congress is away, think tanks and NGOs around the city recommend policy prescriptions for the program on Countering Violent Extremism amidst uncertaintie…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization

    Potential for Intercommunal Violence in Iraq and Syria

    Aug 9, 2017Mustafa Gurbuz

    The legacy of authoritarianism, the rise of sectarian sentiments, ethno-nationalist aspirations, communal grievances about government neglect, and outside inte…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    An Economic Explanation for Egypt’s Alignment in the GCC Crisis

    Aug 9, 2017Imad K. Harb

    With 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
    LebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Stretched over Two Borders, Hezbollah is Making Israel Anxious

    Aug 8, 2017Joe Macaron

    In 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.

  • Op-Eds

    Zeina Azzam: The Deep, and Endless, Occupation

    Aug 8, 2017Zeina Azzam

    the Israeli government initiated a far-reaching institution of military occupation that has become a way of life not only for the long-suffering occupied Pales…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqDemocracy and Governance

    Existential Questions: Iraq Gears up for Elections

    Aug 7, 2017Charles W. Dunne

    Iraqi political forces are beginning to come together, pick fights, ingratiate themselves with potential foreign patrons, and evaluate the mood of the country …

  • Washington Policy Weekly
    IraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Congressional Update – Week Ending August 4, 2017

    The Senate finishes legislative business and joins the House for August recess; pro-Israel bills loom large in Congress while Washington discusses the plight o…