Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Washington is relying on local forces to carry out ground operations following airstrikes against ISIS, but disunity within the Kurdish ranks may hamper their ability to defeat the insurgents.

Oct 9, 2014

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Turkey and the Battle for Kobane

Turkey's primary objective in Syria is to oust the Assad regime, so it is unlikely to materially help the besieged enclave without U.S. and Kurdish commitments toward that goal.

Oct 8, 2014

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

The Politics of Small Slights in the GCC

Political differences between Gulf countries are more complex than simply "Qatar vs. the rest."

Oct 7, 2014

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Karen E. Young

Articles & Testimony

The Next Front Line in the Islamic State Onslaught

Lebanon's precarious state has worsened as ISIS beheads citizens and holds troops and police hostage.

Oct 5, 2014

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

Yemen Crisis Spells Trouble in Saudi Arabia's Backyard

Washington's Gulf partners in the coalition against ISIS are increasingly distracted by the takeover of the Yemeni capital by pro-Iranian Houthi tribesmen.

Oct 3, 2014

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Elections in Tunisia: Steps Toward Democratic Consolidation

Tunisia will need U.S. support for its continuing, fragile transition away from authoritarianism.

Oct 3, 2014

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Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

The Druze Balancing Act

Druze communities in Syria and Lebanon cannot afford to be on the losing side of the ongoing war, and their cautious approach to local tensions reflects that imperative.

Oct 2, 2014

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Noam Raydan

Brief Analysis

Back to the Future: The Latest Hamas-Fatah Reconciliation Deal

Despite the ambiguities in the new agreement, the uncertainty of its actual implementation, and the lack of clarity about what it might mean for Gaza, neither Hamas nor Fatah has an interest in aborting the reconciliation effort at the moment.

Oct 1, 2014

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Ehud Yaari
Neri Zilber

Brief Analysis

Turkey to Vote on Syria Policy

Turkey has thus far avoided overt participation in the international airstrikes against ISIS, reflecting its continued vulnerability to the group and its complex policy priorities in neighboring Syria.

Oct 1, 2014

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Lessons Learned from Maliki's Iraq

The most crucial first steps for the new government in Baghdad are to fill the security ministries with competent, broadly accepted officials, address the oil revenue issue with the Kurds, and build on recent gestures toward political rapprochement.

Sep 24, 2014

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Marc Sievers

Articles & Testimony

Brothers in Trouble? Gomaa Amin and the Future of the Muslim Brotherhood

Through its choice of new leadership and other actions, the group is displaying an ideological stubbornness that may threaten its long-term viability.

Sep 24, 2014

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Eric Trager
Gavi Barnhard

Articles & Testimony

Reach Out to Arab Tribes in Eastern Syria

Expanding strikes to targets northeast of Aleppo would help Washington and its allies exploit fissures between ISIS and local tribes.

Sep 23, 2014

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Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

President Obama Should Meet with Sisi

The two leaders could discuss ISIS, Libya, and other regional issues, but the act of meeting alone would do much in terms of improving bilateral relations.

Sep 22, 2014

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Eric Trager

Brief Analysis

Protests Greet Bahrain's Latest Political Plan

The slow implementation of reforms is casting doubt on the validity of forthcoming elections.

Sep 22, 2014

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Battlefield Libya

As Libya's steep descent continues, its claim to sovereignty is becoming increasingly tenuous, so further acts of intervention by other countries in the region are likely.

Sep 17, 2014

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Gilad Wenig
Andrew Engel

Brief Analysis

The Politics of Rebuilding Gaza

Calculating the actual costs of reconstruction is important, but the most crucial question is whether the PA is truly ready to supplant Hamas and assume effective control over Gaza.

Sep 16, 2014

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Neri Zilber

Articles & Testimony

This Photo Explains the United States' Relationship with Saudi Arabia

The kingdom's existential struggle with Iran could have drastic implications for the Middle East.

Sep 15, 2014

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Resetting the U.S.-Kurdish-Baghdad Relationship

Washington should keep pressuring Baghdad to make early, ungrudging goodwill gestures toward the Kurds instead of reverting to hardball negotiations and broken promises.

Sep 15, 2014

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Michael Knights

Articles & Testimony

Hezbollah's Syrian Quagmire

By siding with the Assad regime and taking up arms against Sunni rebels, Hezbollah has placed itself at the epicenter of a sectarian conflict that has nothing to do with its purported raison d'etre of fighting Israel.

Sep 11, 2014

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Matthew Levitt

In-Depth Reports

How Iranians Might React to a Nuclear Deal

As the P5+1 and Iran negotiate about the nuclear impasse, Iranian factional politics has heated up. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made disparaging comments about the nuclear negotiations, yet supported continuing the talks. The Rouhani government is facing a variety of criticisms: it is vigorously defending its record at

Sep 11, 2014

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Patrick Clawson
Mehdi Khalaji

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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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Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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