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Democracy and Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy and Reform

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Articles & Testimony
U.S. Policy in the Middle East Amid Great Power Competition
Viewing regional issues through this broader strategic lens will require Washington to accept painful trade-offs and take a tougher stance with difficult allies.
Mar 30, 2020
◆
  • Michael Singh
Brief Analysis
How to Serve U.S. Interests by Saving Kurdistan’s Economy
Unless Washington intervenes with cost-effective, forceful measures, Iraqi Kurdistan could be the first Middle Eastern economy to implode under the pressure of coronavirus and low oil prices.
Mar 30, 2020
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  • Michael Knights
Brief Analysis
Gantz’s Gamble
In the name of Israeli unity, the former Blue-White leader has opted to detonate his bloc and allow Netanyahu to remain in power until next year, with uncertain consequences for domestic politics, West Bank annexations, and other issues.
Mar 27, 2020
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  • David Makovsky
In-Depth Reports
The Outlook for Turkish Democracy: 2023 and Beyond
Over nearly two decades, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan has managed to strengthen his hold on power despite numerous political reconfigurations. With the next presidential election scheduled for 2023, many figures within his camp are already maneuvering for leverage while the opposition mulls how to defeat him. Among his potential rivals
Mar 26, 2020
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  • Nick Danforth
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
A Year Since Baghuz, the Islamic State Is Neither Defeated nor Resurging (Yet)
Although attack statistics have declined, the continued lack of stable governance in Diyala and Deir al-Zour shows that Washington and its partners have not absorbed the lessons provided by previous insurgencies.
Mar 25, 2020
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  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Brief Analysis
Israel’s Political Battle Goes to Court
The dispute over voting for a new speaker of parliament is the latest front in determining who will form the next government, with the Supreme Court entering the fray as Netanyahu maneuvers to stay in power.
Mar 24, 2020
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  • David Makovsky
Brief Analysis
Khamenei’s Nowruz Speech in a Time of Coronavirus
His remarks focused on inspiring the nation to stay strong in the face of the crisis while refusing to trust U.S. aid, though without mentioning his normal laundry list of foreign policy issues.
Mar 23, 2020
◆
  • Omer Carmi
Video
Brief Analysis
The U.S. Role in Idlib and Beyond: Perspectives from Syria
How can the United States mitigate the worsening humanitarian crisis in Idlib, and what do Syrian activists on the ground want from Washington?
Mar 20, 2020
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  • Raed al-Saleh
  • Omar Alshogre
  • Rajaa Altalli
  • Naomi Kikoler
Articles & Testimony
Coronavirus in the Holy Land: Israel Has Been Ready for a Crisis Such as This
Fortress Israel raised its drawbridges early, though its resultant economic and political outlook is just as uncertain as the rest of the world’s.
Mar 20, 2020
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  • Neri Zilber
Articles & Testimony
How Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia’s Message Framing Primed Its Members to Become Recruits for the Islamic State
By the time IS came to the fore in Iraq and Syria, many of its themes and activities were already second nature to Tunisian jihadis who had heard similar messaging at home.
Mar 19, 2020
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  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Brief Analysis
Giving Iraq’s Next Prime Minister Space to Succeed
As the next well-qualified, Iraqi-chosen candidate navigates the delicate ratification process, Washington can avoid disrupting his efforts by temporarily ignoring militia provocations and providing quiet, symbolic support where needed.
Mar 17, 2020
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  • Michael Knights
Brief Analysis
Implications of the Saudi Corruption Arrests
The latest crackdown appears to have targeted senior defense and interior officials, spurring speculation that they are linked to previously detained princes rumored to be plotting a coup.
Mar 16, 2020
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Iraq’s Health, Financial, and Security Crises Sharpen the Urgency of Forming a Government
Allawi’s cabinet failure may indicate growing Iraqi agency at Iran’s expense, but the path toward political stability remains tortuous and foggy.
Mar 13, 2020
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  • Bilal Wahab
Brief Analysis
The Coronavirus in Iran (Part 2): Regime Culpability and Resiliency
Even as their lack of transparency worsens the public health crisis, the Supreme Leader and other officials have systematically gutted any civil society elements capable of organizing substantial opposition to such policies.
Mar 12, 2020
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  • Mehdi Khalaji
Brief Analysis
As Israel’s Kingmaker Gets Off the Fence, Gantz Gets a Boost
Although Benny Gantz’s party lost the head-to-head battle, Avigdor Liberman’s favorable influence on the coalition math has left the general in a stronger position—and taken some diplomatic weight off the Trump administration’s shoulders.
Mar 9, 2020
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  • David Makovsky
Brief Analysis
The Coronavirus in Iran (Part 1): Clerical Factors
The clergy’s ambitions for global Shia revolution made the city of Qom uniquely vulnerable to the disease, and their resistance to modern medical science weakened the state’s ability to combat its spread.
Mar 9, 2020
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  • Mehdi Khalaji
Articles & Testimony
The Shia vs. the ‘Shia Crescent’
Whether by force or politics, Iran desperately needs to reconsolidate power among Shia constituencies throughout the region, but this challenge may prove insurmountable given current public sentiment in Iraq and Lebanon.
Mar 5, 2020
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
Brief Analysis
Hezbollah Has a New Strategy to Survive Lebanon’s Financial Crisis
Unless Washington and its allies respond to the protestors’ legitimate demands for reform, the group will survive through measures such as expanding its smuggling activity, promoting its financial institutions, and selectively scapegoating corrupt politicians.
Mar 2, 2020
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Search for Extremism: Deploying the Redirect Method
Results from a new terrorism prevention project in the United States show how targeted online advertising tools can be used to undermine white supremacism and Islamist-inspired extremism.
Feb 27, 2020
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  • Ryan Greer
  • Vidhya Ramalingam
Articles & Testimony
The Middle East’s Future of Perpetual Pandemics
If outbreaks like the coronavirus shift from ‘black swan’ events to regular occurrences, globalization trends in the region may reverse, with sobering consequences.
Feb 26, 2020
◆
  • Michael Knights

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