Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Turkish president Erdogan - Source: Reuters

Turkey’s Securitization of the Kurdish Issue: A Dangerous Strategy

March 31, 2016 The recent attack in Ankara, killing 34 people and injuring dozens more, has been quickly blamed on the PKK, even as a few days later the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) a break-away faction of PKK, claimed responsibility. The attack was only the latest in a series of

Mar 31, 2016

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Maurizio Geri

Fikra Forum

A New Iran for a New Middle East: Aligning Discourse and Behavior

March 31, 2016 In the aftermath of the P5+1 agreement with Iran, the Arab Middle East has been processing two widely conflicting messages from Tehran. The first message is a soft appeal for friendship directed at the global community as a whole, which is built on promise and good intentions

Mar 31, 2016

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Hassan Mneimneh

Fikra Forum

The Economic Dimension of Peace in Turkey

March 31, 2016 President Erdogan’s approach to securing the loyalties of Turkey’s Kurdish populace has taken many forms: granting Kurds stronger civil rights, extending the olive branch to the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) insurgency, and permitting the first pro-Kurdish party to gain Parliament seats in a country where political organizations

Mar 31, 2016

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Ben Sollenberger

Articles & Testimony

Strong Team Faces High Hurdles

Given the risks associated with further economic reform, Egypt's appointment of new and highly qualified cabinet ministers will not necessarily result in new policies.

Mar 30, 2016

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Eric Trager

Articles & Testimony

Growing Stress on Jordan

Although U.S. and Gulf assistance has been vital thus far, Jordan's expenses related to hosting refugees and securing the border outstrip what it is receiving.

Mar 30, 2016

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Robert Satloff
David Schenker

Video

Brief Analysis

The Syrian Kurds: Whose Ally?

Read a summary or watch video of this energetic debate on how Washington should balance vitally important relationships with Turkey and the Syrian Kurds in the fight against the Islamic State.

Mar 29, 2016

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Andrew J. Tabler
Soner Cagaptay
David Pollock
James Jeffrey

Articles & Testimony

Theology in Foreign Policy: ISIS in Context

An exclusively hard-power approach to stopping ISIS could embolden its followers, while soft power alone is no match for the group's theological pull, so the U.S. government will need to look more closely at how its strategies are interpreted abroad.

Mar 29, 2016

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Jacob Olidort

Fikra Forum

Abadi, Stuck Between Sadr and the Status Quo

In Iraq, the menace of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist Movement, has reared its head again, posing serious challenges to Prime Minister Abadi and his plans for government reform. For several months, Abadi’s efforts to fight corruption and replace incompetent ministers with technocrats have faced resistance

Mar 25, 2016

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Omar Al-Nidawi

Fikra Forum

Gorran Leader Mustafa’s Hard Choices

Five months ago Nawshirwan Mustafa, general organizer of the Change Movement (Gorran) party in Kurdistan, left Iraq for London under the pretext of receiving medical treatment for chronic back pain. His extended stay has puzzled not only his rivals, but also his supporters. Silence over Mustafa’s condition, as well as

Mar 24, 2016

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Kamal Chomani

Brief Analysis

Egypt Renews Its Crackdown on NGOs

By once again targeting foreign-funded NGOs, Sisi's government is reactivating the cycle of recriminations that nearly torpedoed the U.S.-Egypt relationship four years ago.

Mar 24, 2016

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Eric Trager

Video

Brief Analysis

Putin's Middle East Policy: Causes and Consequences

Two experts discuss Russia's increasingly assertive regional policy and what it means for American and allied interests. Read a summary or watch video of the full event.

Mar 23, 2016

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Philip Gordon

Brief Analysis

Anomalies in Iran's Assembly of Experts Election

Seemingly inflated vote totals and jumbled candidate lists raise questions about the transparency of the government's official election results and turnout estimates.

Mar 22, 2016

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Patrick Schmidt

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivers public remarks.

Brief Analysis

Khamenei Intensifies His Anti-Americanism to Weaken President Rouhani

The Supreme Leader used his Nowruz address to launch a strong attack on the United States and make Rouhani the scapegoat for continued American pressure, which augurs poorly for U.S.-Iranian cooperation.

Mar 21, 2016

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

The Costs of Lost U.S. Credibility

If the Obama administration is truly committed to containing Iran in the wake of the nuclear deal, it needs to understand how others in the region perceive its handling of Tehran's provocations.

Mar 21, 2016

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

How Would Palestinians React to a UNSC Parameters Resolution?

If Washington and other parties hope to enshrine the contours of future peacemaking through a Security Council resolution, they will need to overcome numerous obstacles relating to Palestinian politics, regional priorities, and America's diminished standing in the region.

Mar 16, 2016

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Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Using International Financial Aid to Improve Baghdad-KRG Relations

Planned financial aid packages can help prevent economic meltdown in Iraqi Kurdistan and reduce tensions between Baghdad and Erbil.

Mar 15, 2016

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Mashhad Appointments Show Tightened Hardliner Grip

Sayyed Ebrahim Raisi, who is taking over a massive organization, has a repressive record dating back to the 1980s.

Mar 14, 2016

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

What Does It Mean To Be a Reformist in Iran?

An unprecedented combination of regional turmoil, international pressure, and authoritarian machinations have coopted the reformist movement, leading many Iranians to view the current regime as Iran's only means of survival.

Mar 10, 2016

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Mehdi Khalaji

Fikra Forum

Will the Referendum Lead to an Independent Kurdish State?

March 10, 2016 Since February 2016 the public sector in Kurdistan has protested corruption and unpaid wages. For the first time in 25 years, Kurdish protesters are publicly showing their disappointment in the government. Meanwhile, the KDP’s Massoud Barzani, whose term as president has technically come and gone, has begun

Mar 10, 2016

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Frzand Sherko

Salafism: Ideas, Recent History, Politics

Download this presentation (PDF)

Mar 9, 2016

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Jacob Olidort

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.

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Featured experts

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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Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

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