Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

Mismanagement Leaves Iran's Economy Vulnerable

Findings from a new IMF report imply that greater U.S. pressure would have considerable impact on the country's shock-prone economy.

Mar 30, 2018

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Patrick Clawson

Video

Brief Analysis

Promoting Political Pluralism in the Middle East

Civil society figures and experts discuss how reform efforts have fared in Morocco, Tunisia, and Iraq, focusing on socioeconomic metrics that are still lagging behind political progress.

Mar 26, 2018

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Aboubakr Jamai
Lobna Jeribi
Oussama Sghaier
Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

Saudi King-in-Waiting Comes to America

Iran will likely dominate the crown prince's Washington conversations with President Trump and other officials.

Mar 19, 2018

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Aim for Saudi Arabia and the US Must Be to Find a Common Game Plan

On key policy and business issues, Mohammed bin Salman represents a path for modernization in the kingdom.

Mar 18, 2018

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Kurdish Nationalism Needs a New Start

Kurdish leaders should embrace a more pragmatic approach in which they prioritize rather than jeopardize the well-being of their citizens, even if this means accepting something less than formal statehood.

Mar 16, 2018

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Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

Moscow and the Middle East After Russia's Election

Washington and its partners can expect Putin to pursue an increasingly aggressive regional policy that depends on confrontation with the West as the basis for domestic legitimacy.

Mar 12, 2018

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Iraq's Energy Future Lies to the North

U.S. support for Iraqi oil export projects involving Turkey, the Gulf, and Europe can help keep undue Iranian influence at bay.

Mar 8, 2018

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James Jeffrey
Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

The Jordan Exception in U.S. Foreign Assistance

By increasing Amman's funding amid austerity measures elsewhere, Washington has reaffirmed the kingdom's strategic importance, but close engagement is needed to make sure the money is well spent.

Mar 7, 2018

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Ben Fishman
Ghaith al-Omari

Articles & Testimony

The Source:

How Hacked Emails and a Yacht in Monaco Ended My Career at The Wall Street Journal

An inside look at the ways in which Iran and other governments use digital technologies to undermine the journalists reporting on them.

Mar 7, 2018

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Jay Solomon

Video

Brief Analysis

Rebuilding Iraq: The U.S.-Gulf Role

Four experts discuss how the recent Kuwait reconstruction conference will affect efforts to rebuild Iraq's war-torn areas ahead of the May elections.

Feb 28, 2018

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Aleksandra Zittle
Shelly Culbertson
Geoffrey Batt
Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

Militias in Iraq's Security Forces: Historical Context and U.S. Options

Washington should adopt a quiet but well-planned approach to Baghdad's demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration of militias, learning when to be flexible and when to stand firm.

Feb 22, 2018

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Omar Al-Nidawi
Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Pushing Iran to Take Steps Against Terrorist Financing

By focusing on Tehran's struggle to reach an acceptable legal definition of terrorism, Washington can avoid further politicizing the traditionally technocratic effort to bring Iranian banks in line with international norms.

Feb 20, 2018

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Katherine Bauer

Articles & Testimony

In Long-Secular Turkey, Sharia Is Gradually Taking Over

Erdogan will not declare Islamic law overnight, but his steady empowerment of the country's religious directorate is a disturbing omen.

Feb 16, 2018

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

The Netanyahu Probe and the Court of Public Opinion

New corruption charges pose a more serious challenge to the prime minister than past investigations, but public reaction in Israel may determine whether he can stay afloat until the next elections.

Feb 15, 2018

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David Makovsky

Video

Brief Analysis

Turkey: A Partner in Crisis

As part of a special screening event, two experts joined the producers of a new PBS investigation to discuss Turkey's 2016 coup crisis and ongoing struggles with authoritarianism.

Feb 13, 2018

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David Heidelberger
MacDara King
Lisel Hintz
Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Mideast's Turmoil, Terror Rooted in '73 Oil-Price Spike

If princes and commentators want to make political points with history, historians should debate the merits of what is being said.

Feb 13, 2018

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

America Should Get Behind Saudi Arabia's Revolutionary Crown Prince

The heir apparent has seemingly read the mood of the kingdom's youths, seeing a readiness for change -- and the danger of perpetuating the status quo.

Feb 12, 2018

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Dennis Ross

Corruption Remains the Second Insurgency of Iraq

An in-depth conversation on why corruption, political squabbles, inadequate legislation, and other problems continue to hinder the Iraqi/KRG energy sector, and what the international community can do about it.

Feb 12, 2018

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Bilal Wahab

Articles & Testimony

How Europe Lost Turkey

The Turkish people are responsible for the health of their own democracy, but it's high time the EU accepted its share of political and economic blame for encouraging Erdogan's most illiberal instincts.

Feb 12, 2018

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Soner Cagaptay

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

Sectarianism in Syria's Civil War

A Geopolitical Study

This study, illustrated with 70 original maps and graphics, fosters a deeper understanding of the role sectarianism has played in Syria's war and reassesses the notion that the regime's divisive efforts singlehandedly transformed the secular and democratic revolution of 2011 into the brutal sectarian conflict of today.

Feb 5, 2018

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Fabrice Balanche

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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Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

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Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

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