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

Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

Filter by:

The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
Hope for al-Hol? The Syria Breakdown, Episode Six
Does Syria's transition away from Assad regime tyranny offer hope for closing detention camps, which have been home to thousands of internally displaced persons and Islamic State supporters?
Mar 13, 2025
◆
  • Devorah Margolin
◆ The Syria Breakdown
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. president Donald Trump at the White House - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Resetting U.S. Relations with the Palestinian Authority?
After boycotting Trump in his first term, Ramallah now seeks to improve the relationship, giving Washington an opening to address the PA’s shortcomings without distracting from other Middle East priorities.
Mar 12, 2025
◆
  • Ghaith al-Omari
Syria's interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, addresses soldiers loyal to the new regime - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Enough with the Hand-Wringing: Al-Sharaa Is Better Than Assad
Despite well-founded worries about the rise of an Islamist government in Syria, the new rulers cannot be any worse than the previous regime—especially now that they are largely disarmed and disinclined to partner with U.S. adversaries like Iran and Russia.
Mar 11, 2025
◆
  • David Schenker
A Syrian man points at bullet holes in a window of a hospital in Jableh town, 25 km south of Latakia, following a spate of violence between Syrian security forces and insurgents loyal to deposed president Bashar al-Assad - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Syria’s Transitional Honeymoon Is Over After Massacres and Disinformation
Amid mounting civilian deaths and rampant disinformation, the conduct of Syria’s fact-finding committee will either make or break the new government’s legitimacy and the prospects for a stable transition.
Mar 10, 2025
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Syrian civilians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in downtown Damascus in December 2024 - source: Reuters
Video
Brief Analysis
Inside the New Syria: The First Three Months
Activists and experts from Syria, Europe, and Washington share on-the-ground insights about how the post-Assad transition is going and where local grievances might erupt into bigger problems.
Mar 7, 2025
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
  • Gregory Waters
  • Sawsan Abou Zainedin
  • Ferhad Ahma
  • Rahaf Aldoughli
Iranians shop in a Tehran market ahead of Nowruz celelbrations in 2024 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Iran’s Sour National Mood Could Complicate U.S. Engagement
When it comes to fixing serious problems with the economy, energy, and other sectors, the reformists have been just as ineffective as the hardliners, eroding any legitimacy they might claim to reopen nuclear negotiations with Washington.
Mar 6, 2025
◆
  • Patrick Clawson
Map of Syria, sanctions "tape," new Syrian flag, Bashar al-Assad, Ahmed al-Sharaa (Muhammad al-Jolani)
In-Depth Reports
Navigating the Syria Sanctions Conundrum
Washington should act quickly to facilitate transactions for key sectors such as electricity, food, and rubble removal, lest public discontent lead to widespread protests and possibly government collapse.
Mar 5, 2025
◆
  • Matthew Levitt
Sunbathers gather on Al-Baida beach in Lebanon - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Trump Should Aim for a “Riviera” in Lebanon
Beirut stands at the goal line of a major win for the Middle East, but only if America quarterbacks the last push.
Mar 3, 2025
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
  • Zohar Palti
Syria's Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani speaks during a meeting with Syrian diaspora after the International Conference on Syria in Paris on February 13, 2025 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Post-Paris Steps in Syria Could Be Decisive
With the clock ticking on the post-Assad honeymoon period, Washington still has time to acknowledge the realities on the ground by providing crucial U.S. know-how and strategic support to the international aid, recovery, and counterterrorism missions.
Feb 28, 2025
◆
  • Devorah Margolin
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with Turkey's president Erdogan in Ankara in 2025 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
A New Age for Turkish Relations with Syria
Ankara and Washington should offer incentives to the new leadership in Damascus to encourage an inclusive governance process and make Syria work.
Feb 20, 2025
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
  • Soner Cagaptay
Iranian-American demonstrators hold signs at a protest in Washington, DC - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Why Secretary Rubio Should Provide Grant Waivers for Urgent Human Rights Work on Iran
Even a short aid freeze can do great damage to programs that are vital to pressuring the Islamic Republic, keeping Washington abreast of developments inside Iran, and ensuring the safety of those fighting for freedom on the ground.
Feb 19, 2025
◆
  • Holly Dagres
A Syrian woman holds a portrait of her missing son during a protest against the Assad regime in 2012 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Models for Transitional Justice in Syria
Post-regime experiences in Iraq, Tunisia, and Libya can help officials avoid the same mistakes in Syria, from over-empowering unaccountable armed groups to delaying judicial reform and economic improvements.
Feb 18, 2025
◆
  • Mieczyslaw Boduszynski
  • Sabina Henneberg
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
The Syria Breakdown, Episode Five: After Assad, Navigating Syria Policy
Watch congressional testimony by two Institute scholars focusing on U.S. policy options in the face of Syria's evolving reality.
Feb 13, 2025
◆
  • Michael Singh
  • Dana Stroul
◆ The Syria Breakdown
A general view of Lebanon's Government Palace in Beirut, taken in 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Lebanon’s New Government May Walk a Thin Line Between Promises and Compromises
The new cabinet appointments appeared to sideline Hezbollah’s camp, but the group retained control over the crucial Finance Ministry and may find other ways of interfering with security decisions, the reconstruction process, and the next elections.
Feb 12, 2025
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
Syria's interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, addresses soldiers loyal to the new regime - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
The Status of Syria’s Transition After Two Months
While the new government’s relative stability is a success, more details are needed on developing and implementing a national dialogue, a new constitution, and inclusivity measures.
Feb 12, 2025
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
German and French foreign ministers meet with Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
The Paris Conference on Syria: Coordination and a Roadmap Are Needed
To set up a future where U.S. forces and constant U.S. attention are no longer needed in Syria, Washington must be involved now, and smart transatlantic engagement could facilitate this goal.
Feb 11, 2025
◆
  • Devorah Margolin
  • Souhire Medini
A Tunisian maritime patrol boat intercepts a migrant boat in the Mediterranean - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Tunisia Shows How Europe’s Approach to Migration Is Untenable
To stem the growing threat of instability, European governments must develop a strategy to humanely address the migration crisis, both by reexamining their own policies and by pressing Tunisia to create a path for regularization of incoming sub-Saharan Africans.
Feb 7, 2025
◆
  • Sarah Yerkes
  • Sabina Henneberg
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
The Syria Breakdown, Episode Four: Revolutionary Rebuilding and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
What are the risks and potential rewards for Washington and its partners working with the new government of Syria, which is led by members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)?
Feb 6, 2025
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Articles & Testimony
How Hezbollah Ends: A Better Lebanon Is Possible
Weakening Hezbollah permanently will be difficult, but for once the goal is attainable—if Beirut has the courage to keep the group out of Lebanon’s coffers and make the army do its job.
Feb 4, 2025
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
Lebanonese prime minister Nawaf Salam speaks to the press in January 2025 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Lebanon’s New Prime Minister Approaches the Next Crossroads on Hezbollah
Salam has promised to enforce accountability and implement the ceasefire with Israel; independent Shia cabinet ministers can help him reach those goals while showing there is an alternative to Hezbollah.
Jan 21, 2025
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
  • Ehud Yaari

Pagination

  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • First page « First
  • Page 1
  • Current page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • …
  • Last page Last »
  • Next page Next ›
Supported by the

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

Fikra n. [Arabic] "Idea"

The Washington Institute's Project Fikra is a multiyear program of research, publication, and network-building designed to generate policy ideas for promoting positive change and countering the spread of extremism in the Middle East.

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

Catherine Cleveland
Catherine Cleveland
Catherine Cleveland is The Washington Institute's Croft-Wagner Family Senior Fellow and managing editor of Fikra Forum.
Ben Fishman
Ben Fishman
Ben Fishman is the Steven D. Levy Senior Fellow in the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, where he focuses on North Africa.
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