Policy Analysis

Iraqi Kurdistan's Komal party faces a difficult dilemma as it seeks a more reformist direction.

The talks, which resumed in April in secret sessions, have made progress toward an agreement. But many are concerned that delays and unreasonable demands have turned the talks into theater among regional parties vying for power.

Moroccan responses to normalization with Israel are split along two opposing narratives, although popular resistance to normalization is unlikely to cause any real change.

Algeria's divided Hirak movement needs greater unity in order to strengthen real, democratic institutions.

Regardless of the Biden Administration's stance on Iran and Hezbollah, sanctioning corrupt politicians in Lebanon is a good call.

New polls show that Iraqis want institutional change, but they are losing faith in elections as a real means towards reform.

There are several steps the Biden administration can take to strengthen its allies in Syria and promote a peaceful solution.

A federalist system is the only viable option for a new government in Yemen.

After the UN's failures regarding Assad, Syrians need a more forceful option to restore their dignity and rights.

Dire circumstances are pushing Lebanese people to the edge, which could bring violent results.

Algeria's divided political system has limited time to make critical reforms.

Increasing natural gas production and enhancing the oil industry are critical to reviving Iraq's economy.

A recent poll gauges Egyptians' lasting impressions of their chapter in the Arab Spring.

Sisi may need to respond to U.S. pressure over human rights issues, but he knows that Biden will not willingly damage relations with Egypt.

Libya's political process will require input from all its people, including women, youth, and minorities, to ensure a government that governs the country fairly and legitimately.

The best means of understanding Biden’s likely Middle East policy is by analyzing his own writing on the question, which suggests that expectations for a major shift in regional policies may remain unmet.

On August 27, the government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi formed a committee to investigate major cases of corruption in Iraq, acknowledging the ongoing frustration among Iraqis with the rampant corruption that has plagued the country.

While Iraqi elites seem to see the announcement of early elections as a major development, polling reveals that Iraqi public opinion is less optimistic about the moves ability to promise major change.

One of the most common terms used among Iraqi elites to criticize the current state is the concept of the non-state, or al-ladaula. Anyone closely observing Iraq’s political affairs cannot avoid reading and hearing this word multiple times a day, given its prominent usage on TV debates, Whatsapp chats, local

In 1992, as I watched the celebrations for the inauguration of al-Tabiqayn Bridge in Baghdad (formerly, al-Qa’id Bridge) on Al-Shabab Television, I turned to my wife and said: “wouldn’t it have been better for us if the cost of this bridge had been spent on better flour for us to