Policy Analysis

The concept of the civilizational state helps explain how Iran is challenging the liberal international system and weakening Iraqi sovereignty.

The United States needs to restore emphasis on its values in order to combat critical media narratives and a growing appreciation for China.

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.

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

Societal transformation in Iraq requires motivated, capable young people who can redefine the status quo in their country.

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.

After more than a decade of feuding, Palestinian factions face an opportunity for change.

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

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

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

Gridlock and economic stagnation are testing the Arab world's only functioning democracy.

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.

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.

Egypt’s upcoming elections are shining the spotlight on the parliament’s deteriorating performance and credibility.

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

In a recently announced move, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Khartoum yesterday as part of his broader tour through the region, including visits to Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE. The Israel-UAE normalization deal sparked the series of diplomatic visits. In the wake of these developments, international observers wondered if