Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Dateline Egypt and North Africa: Updates from the Field

As Secretary Kerry makes his inaugural Middle East trip, states across North Africa face rising tensions among the forces for democracy, stability, and Islamic political ascendancy. In Egypt and Tunisia, revolutions have given way to uncertainty and violence, while Morocco's model of stable reform -- a monarch with an Islamist

Feb 27, 2013

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David Pollock
Eric Trager
Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

Turkey's Foray into the Fertile Crescent

Turkey has answered Iran's challenge by building influence in northern Iraq and Syria.

Feb 27, 2013

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Coordinating U.S. and Turkish Policy on Iraq

Feb 25, 2013

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Michael Knights

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida speaking with Institute Exeucutive Director Rob Satloff - source: The Washington Insitute

Video

Brief Analysis

A Conversation on the Middle East featuring Senator Marco Rubio

Watch a February 27, 2013 conversation with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) on his recent fact-finding visit to the Middle East.

Feb 19, 2013

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Marco Rubio

Articles & Testimony

The Muslim Brotherhood's 213-Year Revolution

Some believe Egypt's uprising began on January 25, 2011, but the Brotherhood begs to differ.

Feb 15, 2013

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Eric Trager

A mural of slain prime minister Rafiq Hariri in Beirut

Articles & Testimony

Anniversary of Hariri's Murder

The late prime minister's assassination is only one of many destabilizing moves Hezbollah has made over the past several years.

Feb 14, 2013

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Who Will Be the Next King of Saudi Arabia?

Riyadh's latest appointment suggests that traditionally secretive royal rivalries may be moving into the public eye as the succession process comes to a head.

Feb 12, 2013

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Tunisian Islamists Mobilize 'Neighborhood Committees'

Amid the recent turmoil, one Salafist group is attempting to outhustle its rivals and the government by flexing its organizational muscles on the street.

Feb 11, 2013

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

Hezbollah's Syria Problem

By turning its "weapons of resistance" against fellow Muslims in Syria, Hezbollah risks destroying its standing at home and abroad.

Feb 6, 2013

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

Can Turkey Seize the 'Kurdish Card' for Itself?

To win over the Syrian Kurds, Turkey will likely need to offer them even more commercial and political inducements that it did the Iraqi Kurds.

Feb 6, 2013

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

The State of Global Jihad Online

An in-depth analysis of past and present chatter on prominent jihadist internet forums, including its implications for extremist ideological penetration in the West.

Feb 5, 2013

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

The Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation: Threatening Peace Prospects (Part 2)

On February 5, David Makovsky, director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at The Washington Institute, testified before the House regarding the implications of the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation and its effects on the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The following is an excerpt from his testimony.

Feb 4, 2013

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

The Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation: Threatening Peace Prospects (Part 1)

On February 5, Matthew Levitt, director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute, testified before the House regarding the implications of the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation and its effects on the propects for Middle East peace. The following is an excerpt from his testimony.

Feb 4, 2013

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Lebanon and the Spillover from Syria

Domestic issues, rather than the war raging next door, currently dominate Lebanon's politics.

Feb 4, 2013

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

The Syrian Islamic Front: A New Extremist Force

Another prominent Salafist militia has emerged in Syria, further complicating Washington's efforts to find rebel factions that align with U.S. interests.

Feb 4, 2013

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Brief Analysis

Jordan Bracing for More Spillover from Syria

Providing for Syrian refugees has been difficult for cash-strapped Jordan, but more troubling is the prospect of foreign jihadists moving across the border.

Feb 1, 2013

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

As Syria Crumbles, Israel Prepares for Instability

Although Assad's ouster would bring welcome disruption to the Iran-Hizballah axis, Israel's leaders are focusing on the potential security risks of Syria's deterioration, including chemical and missile proliferation and jihadist border violence.

Jan 31, 2013

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Michael Herzog

Brief Analysis

Assad's Fall and Iraqi Stability

Assad's ouster would create significant risk of widespread violence in Iraq, but also a fleeting opportunity to regain leverage over the Maliki government.

Jan 30, 2013

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Michael Knights

Articles & Testimony

Will Germany Confront Morsi's Holocaust Denial?

The Egyptian president's trip to Berlin is an opportunity for the West to call him out on worrisome trends.

Jan 29, 2013

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Eric Trager

Brief Analysis

Syria's War Affecting Turkey in Unexpected Ways

The fighting next door has potential economic, sectarian, political, and security repercussions that merit intense U.S. intelligence cooperation with Turkey.

Jan 29, 2013

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Soner Cagaptay

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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.

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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 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 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 was the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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