Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

Syrian flag over a ruined building destroyed by bombing

The Struggle for Peace in Syria: A Decade of Decisionmaking

Two former U.S. ambassadors and a Syrian opposition official examine the many diplomatic, geopolitical, and humanitarian lessons the conflict holds for the Biden administration.

Mar 11, 2021

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Bassma Kodmani
Robert Ford
James Jeffrey

Assistant secretary of state David Schenker speaks at the Department of State in Washington, DC, alongside secretary of state Mike Pompeo

Video

Brief Analysis

Middle East Policy from Trump to Biden: Views from Inside the State Department’s Near East Bureau

The former assistant secretary of state in charge of the Middle East portfolio from 2019-2021 discusses his time in office and how the region’s challenges and opportunities are evolving at the start of the Biden administration.

March 10, 2021

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David Schenker
Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Lebanon's Predicament: Political Stagnation and Economic Collapse in a Hezbollah-Dominated State

Three Lebanese experts explore Beirut’s precarious politics, Hezbollah’s continued ability to evade accountability, and the Biden administration’s options.

Mar 5, 2021

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Makram Rabah
Ali al-Amin
Alia Mansour

NATO solderis with alliance and national flags

Brief Analysis

NATO in Iraq: Not a Surge

NATO stands ready to increase its commitment in a slow and steady manner consistent with Baghdad’s needs, but careful communication will be crucial, as will a more strategic discussion on how to combine different assistance efforts.

Mar 5, 2021

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Michael Knights
Pierre Morcos

Brief Analysis

The Pope Meets the Ayatollah

The Vatican’s outreach to Iraq is laudable in its goal of decreasing religious violence, but Western officials should be realistic about what engagement with Shia religious leaders can accomplish in the near term.

Mar 3, 2021

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Mehdi Khalaji

Protesters hold Syrian and Hezbollah flags

Brief Analysis

Assad Is Giving Biden Every Reason to Prioritize Syria

Even if the growing regional and geopolitical stakes were not sufficient on their own, the regime’s domestic negligence, illegitimacy, and criminality provide ample reason to shake up Washington’s approach.

Mar 3, 2021

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Aaron Y. Zelin
Oula A. Alrifai

Video

Brief Analysis

Countdown to Israel's Election: A Conversation with Yair Lapid

The centrist party leader discusses key domestic and international policy issues ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections, with follow-up analysis by political and polling experts.

Mar 1, 2021

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Yair Lapid
David Makovsky
Tamar Hermann

Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia

Articles & Testimony

For Better or Worse: Which Way Will US-Saudi Relations Go Under Biden?

The new administration seems to regard Khashoggi’s death as merely the best known of the crown prince’s sins, but it is hard to see an alternative successor in the House of Saud.

Feb 26, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Reframing Libya for a Reluctant Administration

By treating the conflict as a matter of Mediterranean security, President Biden’s team can better assist the new Libyan government and demonstrate its commitment to revitalizing alliances.

Feb 25, 2021

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Ben Fishman

Articles & Testimony

The Other Khashoggis: Dissidents in Danger Across the Middle East

With militia targeting of activists on the rise, Western officials need to name the perpetrators, hold them accountable, and support homegrown democratic movements before they are snuffed out for good.

Feb 25, 2021

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Hanin Ghaddar
Michael Knights

Articles & Testimony

Balancing Act: Biden Must Redefine the US-Saudi Relationship

The administration’s instinct to cancel Riyadh’s blank check is right, but engaging a flawed partner is not the same as confronting a determined adversary.

Feb 25, 2021

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Dennis Ross
Robert Satloff

MbS, King Salman, Saudi map, fighter jet

In-Depth Reports

Defining a Mature, Balanced Relationship with Saudi Arabia

An Urgent Task for the Biden Administration

A revamped approach to the alliance should stay focused on shared goals, from ensuring a stable oil market to promoting a more tolerant version of Islam at home and abroad.

Feb 22, 2021

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Dennis Ross
Robert Satloff

◆ Transition 2021

Brief Analysis

The Tunisian Jihadist Movement Ten Years After the Prisoner Amnesty

Security issues won’t top Tunisia’s agenda in 2021, but the sheer volume of citizens mobilized into the jihadist milieu over the past decade suggests that the consequences will be felt for years to come.

Feb 19, 2021

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Video

Brief Analysis

Countering and Exposing Terrorist Propaganda and Disinformation

A senior U.S. official discusses how the government and its partners are using technological innovation, social media engagement, and other tools to challenge false narratives spread by state and nonstate actors.

Feb 19, 2021

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Daniel Kimmage

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Brief Analysis

Israel’s Round Four: New and Old Dynamics

It is far from certain that the next election will stabilize Israeli politics, and even if it does, the forces taking shape could create challenging peace math for the Biden administration.

Feb 9, 2021

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David Makovsky

In-Depth Reports

Seizing Opportunities and Strengthening Alliances in Northwest Africa:

Ideas for Policy Toward Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia

Modest investments of U.S. diplomatic capital, economic aid, and security assistance can help these three countries and advance American interests.

Feb 3, 2021

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Robert Satloff
Sarah Feuer

◆ Transition 2021

Articles & Testimony

The Arab Spring Then and Now, Through the Prism of Public Opinion

A “survey of surveys” shows that from an intelligence and policy point of view, Arab public opinion is measurable and meaningful—assuming regional governments and Washington are paying proper attention to it.

Winter 2021

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Oman’s Sultan Caps First Year by Appointing Heir and New Military Leadership

Sultan Haitham’s latest decrees elevated his son to heir, sacked commanders, and spotlighted his brother’s influence, but the government’s main focus is still squarely on economic reform.

Jan 28, 2021

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Elana DeLozier

Police walk past the Palestinian Legislative Council in Ramallah

Brief Analysis

Will the Palestinian Election Decree Produce Actual Elections?

Even if Fatah and Hamas somehow get past the same towering political obstacles that derailed past decrees, elections hold little prospect of reconciling their deeply entrenched leaders and institutions anytime soon.

Jan 27, 2021

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Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

Baghdad Bombing Spurs Major Intelligence and Military Reshuffle

The Iraqi government continues to sharpen the leadership of various commands and bolster civilian control, giving the U.S.-led coalition more leverage to fight the Islamic State with a light footprint.

Jan 26, 2021

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Michael Knights

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.

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Catherine Cleveland

Catherine Cleveland is The Washington Institute's Croft-Wagner Family Senior Fellow and managing editor of Fikra Forum.

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.

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