Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

Grading Counterterrorism Cooperation with the GCC States

A former Treasury official assesses Qatar and Kuwait's record on countering terrorist financing, with a focus on how to continue cooperation amid the Gulf's ongoing diplomatic rift.

Apr 26, 2018

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Katherine Bauer

Articles & Testimony

Trump’s Travel Ban Might Be Legal, But It’s Bad Policy

Most domestic terrorists don’t get radicalized abroad; they’re made in the USA.

Apr 25, 2018

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

Awaiting Change: State of the Arab World Is Captured in Photo from Saudi Summit

Washington should continue looking past the public statements of the Arab League, an institution more famous for brakes than breakthroughs.

Apr 24, 2018

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

How President Erdogan Is Turning Turkey into Putin's Russia

Erdogan’s repressive policies are steadily driving out the educated and business classes needed to achieve his goal of transforming the country into a great power.

Apr 24, 2018

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Soner Cagaptay

Protesters hold Syrian and Hezbollah flags

Brief Analysis

Hezbollah Will Be the Big Winner in Lebanon's Elections

The group has essentially guaranteed itself a victory by coopting opponents and shuffling electoral districts, but the West can still contain the damage by pressing Beirut on economic reforms.

Apr 19, 2018

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Hanin Ghaddar

Video

Brief Analysis

Iraq Goes to the Polls: Progress and Pitfalls

Watch an expert panel preview upcoming Iraqi elections and the possible outcomes for vital American and Iraqi interests.

Apr 19, 2018

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Ranj Alaaldin
Michael Knights
Phillip Smyth
Bilal Wahab

Articles & Testimony

How Erdogan Wins

Turkey will formally begin a new era in June, with the president becoming the ultimate head of state, government, police, army, and the ruling party.

Apr 19, 2018

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Libya After Haftar

Given the potentially imminent demise of a key powerbroker, Washington will need to refocus on transition issues in Libya and help the UN implement its action plan.

Apr 18, 2018

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

How Iraqi Sovereignty Supports U.S. National Interests

By providing a clear and consistent roadmap for American interests in Iraq and future international support, Washington can help Baghdad steer the country in the right direction after next month's elections.

Apr 17, 2018

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James Jeffrey
Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

The IRGC May Try to Divert Iraq's Electricity Payments

As Baghdad prepares to send large back payments to Tehran, any misappropriation could threaten the flow of electricity to Iraq and bolster sanctioned entities in Iran.

Apr 5, 2018

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Michael Knights

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking

Brief Analysis

The Most Important Speech of the Year in Iran

The Supreme Leader's latest Nowruz speech signaled concern about the regime's political legitimacy while remaining notably silent on the nuclear deal.

Apr 5, 2018

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Patrick Clawson

In-Depth Reports

Cultural Heterogeneity in Post-Revolutionary Iran

The widening rift between religious traditionalists and "hybrid-postmodernists" could undermine the regime's guiding principle of Islamism.

Apr 5, 2018

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Saeid Golkar

Brief Analysis

Sisi's Reelection and Egypt's Next Political Establishment

The president now has all the time he needs to continue restocking the political system with handpicked youths while snuffing out the opposition for good.

Apr 2, 2018

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Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

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

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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Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

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