Skip to main content
TWI logo The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
logo
wordmark
Homepage

Main navigation

  • Analysis
  • Experts
  • About
  • Support
  • Maps & Multimedia
Trending:
  • Military & Security
  • Proliferation
  • Israel
  • Iran
  • Lebanon
  • Syria

Regions & Countries

  • Egypt
  • Gulf States
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Middle East
  • North Africa
  • Palestinians
  • Syria
  • Turkey

Issues

  • Arab & Islamic Politics
  • Arab-Israeli Relations
  • Democracy & Reform
  • Energy & Economics
  • Great Power Competition
  • Gulf & Energy Policy
  • Military & Security
  • Peace Process
  • Proliferation
  • Terrorism
  • U.S. Policy
TWI English
TWI Arabic: اللغة العربية Fikra Forum

Breadcrumb

  • Policy Analysis

Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Filter by:

Articles & Testimony
An Islamist Syria Is Not Very Probable
Syria's Muslim Brotherhood - banned for nearly 25 years - has been increasingly vocal recently in its criticism of the regime of President Bashar Assad. Earlier this month, for example, it demanded the organization of free elections, cancellation of the state of emergency and dismantlement of special courts, warning that
Apr 29, 2005
Brief Analysis
The Hizballah Conundrum
President George W. Bush’s March 15 statement expressing hope that Hizballah would prove not to be a terrorist organization, “laying down arms and not threatening peace,” suggests a conundrum for policymakers: how do you treat a chameleonic body that is simultaneously an important political party and an armed terror group
Mar 29, 2005
◆
  • Michael Herzog
Brief Analysis
The Role of International Monitors and Observers in the Lebanese Elections
President George W. Bush recently stated, “The elections in Lebanon must be fully and carefully monitored by international observers.” Already, Lebanese prime minister Omar Karami has issued a de facto invitation to former president Jimmy Carter to fulfill that role. Some skepticism is warranted, particularly with regard to the notion
Mar 22, 2005
◆
  • Patrick Clawson
  • Robert Rabil
Articles & Testimony
Thinking the Unthinkable
What do Georgia, Ukraine, and Lebanon have in common? Their publics have said no to fear. They would not be silenced or intimidated as they rejected the fraudulent elections and corrupt governments imposed on them. Iraqi Shiites and, to a lesser extent, the Kurds could be added to this list
Mar 21, 2005
◆
  • Dennis Ross
Brief Analysis
From Beirut to Algiers:
The Arab League’s Role in the Lebanon Crisis
Arab leaders meet in Algiers on March 22 for an Arab League summit, at a moment of high tension within Lebanon over the pace and extent of Syria’s military withdrawal and the future domestic political map. Despite the important roles many of the summiteers have played in urging Damascus to
Mar 21, 2005
◆
  • Robert Rabil
Brief Analysis
Assessing the Bush Administration's Policy of 'Constructive Instability' (Part II):
Regional Dynamics
In Lebanon, the Bush Administration's regional policy of "constructive instability" is approaching a critical juncture, with important decisions looming about how the further implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559 relates to other U.S. strategic interests. More generally, the policy is having an effect throughout the region, from the
Mar 16, 2005
◆
  • Robert Satloff
Brief Analysis
What Role for the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria’s Future?
In calling for a demonstration in Damascus on March 10, Haitham Maleh, an opposition figure with close connections to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, proclaimed, “We are 85 percent of the country”—an apparent gesture of solidarity against Syria’s ruling Alawite minority. The group of about 100 demonstrators who answered his call
Mar 11, 2005
◆
  • Michael Jacobson
Brief Analysis
After the Hariri Assassination:
Syria, Lebanon, and U.S. Policy
When Bashar al-Asad assumed power in 2001, there was widespread optimism that he would, by virtue of his British education and Western outlook, modernize the Syrian government and expand individual and political rights. Yet, after a short period of preliminary change, dubbed the "Damascus Spring," Asad proved unwilling or unable
Mar 10, 2005
Brief Analysis
Saudi Elections in Regional Perspective:
The Shiite 'Threat' Theory
The most significant area of Saudi Arabia affected by the March 3 municipal elections was the enormous Eastern Province, which contains most of the kingdom's vast oil wealth and serves as home to its minority Shiite population. Unsurprisingly, local Shiites triumphed in several towns, winning nearly all of the seats
Mar 9, 2005
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Bashar al-Asad's Fateful Speech:
A Policy of Inconsistency and Paranoia
With international pressure rising for a full and speedy Syrian troop withdrawal from Lebanon, Syrian president Bashar al-Asad responded with a speech to his nation's rubber-stamp parliament on Saturday, March 5, that was a blend of defiance and conciliation, leavened with inconsistency and paranoia. If one of Asad's tasks was
Mar 7, 2005
◆
  • Robert Satloff
Brief Analysis
Next Steps in Lebanon:
Key Variables in the Growing Confrontation with Syria
The fall of the Omar Karami cabinet in Beirut on February 28 marked an important development in the brewing confrontation between an energized civil society in Lebanon and the country's Syrian-backed government. While Damascus will likely try to staunch the bleeding of its occupation of Lebanon by redeploying troops—and perhaps
Mar 2, 2005
Articles & Testimony
Iraq Elections Set Conditions for Summer of Discontent
Although the elections in Iraq did not produce the nightmare scenarios predicted by many analysts, they have set in motion a process of intense political dialogue and violent brinksmanship that is likely to last throughout 2005....
Mar 1, 2005
◆
  • Michael Knights
Brief Analysis
A New Palestinian Cabinet
On February 24, 2005, the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) approved the new cabinet presented by Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei by a vote of fifty-four to ten, with four abstentions, establishing the first official government appointed after the January election of President Mahmoud Abbas. After a week of political infighting over
Feb 25, 2005
◆
  • Ben Fishman
Brief Analysis
Syria and the Polarization of Lebanese Politics
The assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri in a massive bombing in Beirut a few days ago came at a time of growing Lebanese opposition to Syria’s fifteen-year "trusteeship" (occupation) of the country. Lebanese politics have become polarized by the September 2004 term extension of the pro-Syrian president
Feb 18, 2005
◆
  • Robert Rabil
Brief Analysis
In the Wake of the Iraqi Elections:
Political and Security Implications
The surprisingly high turnout in the Iraqi elections is a positive development, but it is only one milestone in the road ahead. Beyond the elections, reconciliation becomes the fundamental issue. Sunni Arabs, who represent the overwhelming majority of insurgents, are demographically and politically isolated. As they have long been politically
Feb 9, 2005
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Jeffrey White
Brief Analysis
A Reform Initiative in Jordan:
Trying to Keep Pace with Iraqi and Palestinian Elections
Jordan’s King Abdullah recently announced a major initiative for decentralizing political and fiscal authority in the kingdom by establishing a number of regional assemblies and empowering them with many of the responsibilities currently enjoyed by the parliament and central government. This effort should be viewed as one of the means
Feb 4, 2005
◆
  • Robert Satloff
Brief Analysis
Hizballah and the Anitglobalization Movement:
A New Coalition?
The World Social Forum (WSF) is currently (January 26–31) convening a Global Anti-War Assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, building on its previous conferences attended by thousands of antiglobalization activists from around the globe. Among the issues to be addressed are coordinating actions across borders, determining which tactics to use, finding
Jan 27, 2005
Brief Analysis
Bush's Inaugural Address:
Reactions from the Arab and Iranian Press
In his inaugural address on January 20, President George W. Bush declared that "it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world." What follows is
Jan 25, 2005
Brief Analysis
Iraqi Elections:
What, How, and Who
Iraq’s elections are ready to go forward, but conditions are “far from ideal” in Kofi Annan’s words, due to the growing insurgency, disagreements within the Shiite community, and the logistical difficulties of Iraq’s first ever-free elections. The soon-to-be-elected Transitional National Assembly will play a vital role in Iraq’s transitional process
Jan 24, 2005
Articles & Testimony
Arabs and the Holocaust
Of the more than 100 countries that have formally endorsed today's convening of the special U.N. General Assembly on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, not one is Arab. In the West, this is viewed as another manifestation of Holocaust denial, an increasingly commonplace feature of Arab politics
Jan 24, 2005
◆
  • Robert Satloff

Pagination

  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • First page « First
  • …
  • Page 168
  • Page 169
  • Page 170
  • Page 171
  • Current page 172
  • Page 173
  • Page 174
  • Page 175
  • Page 176
  • …
  • Last page Last »
  • Next page Next ›
Supported by the

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

Sign Up for Email Updates from The Washington Institute

Never miss a breaking event on U.S. policy interests in the Middle East. Customize your subscription to our expert analysis, op-eds, live events, and special reports.

Sign up

Featured experts

David Schenker
David Schenker
David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
Ghaith al-Omari
Ghaith al-Omari
Ghaith al-Omari is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.
Hanin Ghaddar
Hanin Ghaddar
Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute's Rubin Family Arab Politics Program, where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant.
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab was the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Background image with TWI branding
logo
wordmark
Homepage

1111 19th Street NW - Suite 500
Washington D.C. 20036
Tel: 202-452-0650
Fax: 202-223-5364

Footer contact links

  • Contact
  • Press Room
  • Subscribe

The Washington Institute seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them.

The Institute is a 501(c)3 organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

Footer quick links

  • About TWI
  • Support the Institute
  • Alumni

Social media

  • The Washington Institute on Facebook facebook
  • The Washington Institute on X x
  • The Washington Institute on YouTube youtube
  • The Washington Institute on LinkedIn linkedin

© 2025 All rights reserved.

Footer

  • Employment
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rights & Permissions