Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

While U.S. attention is focused on fires already raging in the Middle East, Russia is quietly expanding its presence in North Africa, to the detriment of U.S. interests.

Nov 2, 2017

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Sarah Feuer
Anna Borshchevskaya

Video

Brief Analysis

The Scoop on the Arab Street: New Polls, Taboo Topics

Three Middle East scholars explore how to measure public opinion in the region's sometimes fractious, sometimes autocratic Arab states.

Nov 1, 2017

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David Pollock
Michele Dunne
Ali Shihabi

Articles & Testimony

America's Radicalization Problem: It's Local

The Trump administration's focus on border security and 'terrorism prevention' is not well suited to countering homegrown attacks like the one New York just suffered.

Nov 1, 2017

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Tourism Patterns Show Turkey Shifting from Europe to the Middle East

Many Turks traditionally got their only firsthand exposure to European values by interacting with European tourists, but lately this trend seems to be weakening even as visitors from Muslim-majority or former Soviet countries are on the rise.

Oct 30, 2017

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Soner Cagaptay
Oya Aktas

Brief Analysis

Shia Unrest in Hezbollah's Beirut Stronghold

The group is hoping to rein in rampant social problems by allowing government authorities to crack down on its poorest constituents, but the plan could backfire amid unprecedented anti-Hezbollah riots.

Oct 30, 2017

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

Saving the KRG Is Vital to U.S. and Iraqi Interests

If the Kurdish region is rolled back by federal forces or implodes into civil conflict, the consequences would threaten Iraq's constitutional structure and undercut U.S. efforts to contain Iran.

Oct 25, 2017

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Bilal Wahab

Articles & Testimony

The U.S. Must Fulfill Role of Negotiator Between Baghdad, Kurds

To keep Iraq united and help minimize the divisive sectarianism that has characterized past elections, Washington and the UN need to push for dialogue on the KRG crisis.

Oct 20, 2017

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

How Egypt Can Help Hamas and Fatah Implement Their New Deal

The Cairo-brokered understandings can help Gaza, but their success should be judged by how Hamas and Fatah practically approach key issues, not by what they say.

Oct 18, 2017

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Ghaith al-Omari

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Saudi Royal Transition: Why, What, and When?

Speculation is widespread that King Salman may soon abdicate in favor of Crown Prince Muhammad, but that is just one of several possible options.

Oct 18, 2017

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

The UN Action Plan for Libya: Prospects and Challenges

The success of the initiative will depend on a serious commitment from Libya's various factions, broad international support, and improvements to daily life for the public.

Oct 17, 2017

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

Interpreting the Fall of Islamic State Governance

Although the cessation of governance-related media releases suggests a full retreat, IS remains active in military campaigns and eager to rise again by taking advantage of local grievances.

Oct 16, 2017

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Turkey and U.S. Enter Most Important Crisis in Recent Memory

Even if Erdogan strikes a deal to keep the crisis from boiling over, Washington has shown him that there are limits to U.S. tolerance of his authoritarian balancing act.

Oct 10, 2017

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Are Shia Dynamics in Iraq and Lebanon Turning Against Iran?

If Iraqi Shia reject Tehran's call for a unified bloc in next year's elections, it could have welcome implications for the future of Iranian influence in Baghdad -- and Beirut.

Oct 5, 2017

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Hanin Ghaddar

Video

Brief Analysis

After the Kurdish Referendum: Regional Implications

Watch experts discuss the potential fallout from the September 25 independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Oct 3, 2017

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Michael Knights
David Pollock
Bilal Wahab

Articles & Testimony

Is Saudi Arabia Really Changing?

A woman's right to drive has much to say about the influence of the kingdom's hardline clerics and the prospects for deep, lasting reform.

Sep 27, 2017

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Memories of an Anti-Semitic State Department

A veteran diplomat reflects on how Jews have been perceived within the national security apparatus over the years, and why false presumptions only impede efforts to formulate better policies in the Middle East.

Sep 26, 2017

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Why Iraqi Security Forces Are Promoting the Arts

Cultural initiatives serve key defense goals, but Baghdad should steer clear of programs that turn the arts into a mouthpiece of the state or a divisive sectarian tool.

Sep 18, 2017

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Kendall Bianchi

Brief Analysis

Terrorism in Europe: The Moroccan Connection

The prominence of Moroccan expatriates among the perpetrators of high-profile attacks contrasts with the kingdom's relative success in containing its own domestic jihadism threat.

Aug 24, 2017

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Sarah Feuer
David Pollock

Brief Analysis

On Libya Policy, Trump Defers to Europe

Rather than leaving the job to Europe, Washington can articulate a clear Libya policy at the September UN General Assembly meeting, thereby making a political deal more likely to achieve and enforce.

Aug 21, 2017

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Ben Fishman

Articles & Testimony

A Beauty Queen Helps Israel's Egyptian Community Find Its Voice

In February, the Israeli government approved the creation of a nonprofit "to advance the affairs of the Egyptian minority in Israel," potentially a small step toward warmer bilateral relations.

Aug 16, 2017

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Haisam Hassanein

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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