الديمقراطية والإصلاح

Policy Analysis on الديمقراطية والإصلاح

Rebooting U.S. Security Cooperation in Iraq

The challenge posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has created some strange dynamics, among them the shared interest of the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran in "degrading and defeating" the Sunni jihadist group. But this shared interest should not be viewed as an

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Tunisians Vote in a Runoff

While Tunisians deserve widespread recognition for achieving a peaceful transfer of power, the need for continued U.S. engagement will only increase after this weekend's ballot.

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Sarah Feuer

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

The Battle of Ideas 2.0: Combating ISIS Ideology at Home and Abroad

An in-depth conversation on the challenges of battling jihadist ideology in the ISIS era.

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Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein
Matthew Levitt
Hedieh Mirahmadi

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Brief Analysis

Saudi Cabinet Changes Suggest Domestic Discontent

The sudden removal of several ministers is most likely a response to popular dissatisfaction with the government's performance at home.

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Egyptian Revolution Isn't Dead Because It Never Happened in the First Place

A crucial bloc within Egypt mainly wants stability, rather than the deep institutional reforms that a true revolution would require.

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Eric Trager

Articles & Testimony

Hezbollah: The Party of Iran, Not Lebanon

A tactical shift by Hezbollah should not be seen as a genuine change in its ideology: it was and remains the party of Iran, not Lebanon.

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David Daoud

Brief Analysis

Between ISIS and Iran: Bahrain Tweaks Washington

Amid electoral boycotts and continued concerns about ISIS and Iran, King Hamad has reappointed a prime minister whom Washington regards as an impediment to political progress.

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Tunisians Elect a President

Regardless of who enters Carthage Palace in January, a free and fair election will represent an achievement worthy of international recognition.

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Sarah Feuer

In-Depth Reports

Libya as a Failed State:

Causes, Consequences, Options

Is post-Qadhafi Libya destined to become a "Somalia on the Mediterranean"? Analyst Andrew Engel studies the causative factors in Libya's failed transition to democracy.

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Andrew Engel

In-Depth Reports

The Iraq Troop-Basing Question and the New Middle East

An examination of allegations that the Obama administration’s failure to secure a long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq after 2011 was the "original sin" that led to the ascendance of ISIS.

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James Jeffrey

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

Reflections on Islamism: From the Muslim Brotherhood to the Islamic State

2014 Zeev Schiff Memorial Lecture

Israel's former ambassador to Egypt and Jordan discusses the changing face of Islamism for the Institute's annual lecture in honor of the late Zeev Schiff.

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Shimon Shamir

◆ Zeev Schiff Memorial Lectures

Articles & Testimony

President Sisi's Worldview

A former senior official at the U.S. embassy in Cairo describes how Sisi's background is shaping his approach to domestic politics, counterterrorism, Israel, and other issues.

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Marc Sievers

Brief Analysis

Bahrain's Ban on Main Opposition Prompts U.S. Policy Dilemma

Washington faces a stark choice between pressing for political reconciliation or jeopardizing the anti-ISIS coalition and access to important military facilities.

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Lessons from Versailles for Today's Middle East

The discontent and chaos in the Middle East are rooted in treaties drafted at the close of World War I.

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Fast-Tracking the Arab Spring in Yemen

The quick fall of Yemen's capital could push the country toward the Syrian model of sectarian strife, but it also presents an opportunity for reform led by a new political player.

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Abdul-Ghani al-Iryani

Brief Analysis

Elections in Tunisia: Steps Toward Democratic Consolidation

Tunisia will need U.S. support for its continuing, fragile transition away from authoritarianism.

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Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

The Druze Balancing Act

Druze communities in Syria and Lebanon cannot afford to be on the losing side of the ongoing war, and their cautious approach to local tensions reflects that imperative.

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Noam Raydan

Articles & Testimony

Lessons Learned from Maliki's Iraq

The most crucial first steps for the new government in Baghdad are to fill the security ministries with competent, broadly accepted officials, address the oil revenue issue with the Kurds, and build on recent gestures toward political rapprochement.

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Marc Sievers

Brief Analysis

The Politics of Rebuilding Gaza

Calculating the actual costs of reconstruction is important, but the most crucial question is whether the PA is truly ready to supplant Hamas and assume effective control over Gaza.

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Neri Zilber

Articles & Testimony

This Photo Explains the United States' Relationship with Saudi Arabia

The kingdom's existential struggle with Iran could have drastic implications for the Middle East.

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Simon Henderson

Supported by the

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

Fikra n. [Arabic] "Idea"

The Washington Institute's Project Fikra is a multiyear program of research, publication, and network-building designed to generate policy ideas for promoting positive change and countering the spread of extremism in the Middle East.

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