Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

To stem the growing threat posed by militant Islamist groups worldwide, Western countries should implement more effective countermeasures against recruitment at home while bolstering the positive regional examples set by Morocco and the Iraqi Kurds.

Jul 8, 2014

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Magnus Norell

Brief Analysis

Setback in Relations with Bahrain as Senior U.S. Official Expelled

Manama's latest announcement could impact both the island's delicate political process and U.S. military interests in the region.

Jul 7, 2014

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Simon Henderson

Q&A on Turkey

Soner Cagaptay is the author of the new book The Rise of Turkey: The Twenty-First Century's First Muslim Power . His other work includes the book Islam, Secularism, and Nationalism in Modern Turkey: Who is a Turk? He is the Beyer Family Fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program

Jun 26, 2014

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Eye on the Ball Amid Qatar-FIFA Corruption Charges

Washington should use the State Department's upcoming annual "Trafficking in Persons" report to amplify international calls for strategic Persian Gulf partners to reform their expatriate labor practices.

Jun 16, 2014

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Lori Plotkin Boghardt

Articles & Testimony

Hillary: I'm Done with Crazy Egyptian Conspiracy Theories

The former secretary of state's memoirs illustrate how Egypt's misplaced focus on supposed American conspiracies has exacerbated U.S. skepticism regarding Cairo's recent political direction.

Jun 11, 2014

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Eric Trager

Articles & Testimony

Sisi's Fearful Egypt

Despite the Muslim Brotherhood's extrication, fear is still the primary motivator of Egyptian politics, which does not bode well for fostering stability and inclusiveness.

Jun 11, 2014

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Eric Trager

Video

Brief Analysis

Toward the Sisi Era: A New Page in U.S.-Egypt Relations?

Three experts offer firsthand observations on Egypt's presidential election and its aftermath, including recommendations for the future direction of U.S. policy and aid dollars.

Jun 6, 2014

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Eric Bjornlund
Eric Trager
Michele Dunne

Brief Analysis

Hamas Opts for the Hezbollah Model

Hamas seems intent on using Hezbollah's "bullets plus ballots" approach to gain a military and political foothold in the West Bank, the PA, and the PLO.

Jun 3, 2014

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Ehud Yaari

Brief Analysis

Egypt After the Election: Advancing the Strategic Relationship

Instead of careening between short-term objectives, U.S. policy toward Egypt should take a long-term, multilateral view that focuses on advancing security cooperation and political and economic reform simultaneously.

May 30, 2014

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Michael Singh

U.S. Military Options in Syria

May 28, 2014

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Chandler Atwood
Joshua Burgess
Michael Eisenstadt
Joseph Wawro

Iranian Students in the United States, 1924-2012

May 28, 2014

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Steven Ditto

Brief Analysis

Palestinian Reconciliation: Devil in the Details?

How -- and if -- Hamas and Fatah overcome formidable security, institutional, and political roadblocks should dictate the international response to their unity deal and joint government.

May 28, 2014

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Matthew Levitt
Neri Zilber

Articles & Testimony

Egypt's Also-Ran

Meet the man crazy enough to run for president against the new strongman in Cairo.

May 22, 2014

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Eric Trager

Articles & Testimony

The Muslim Brotherhood Thinks It's Winning Again

Given the Brotherhood's persistent and dangerous delusion, the existential struggle that has defined Egyptian politics since Morsi's removal will likely worsen.

May 19, 2014

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Eric Trager

In-Depth Reports

Between Not-In and All-In:

U.S. Military Options in Syria

In light of the inability of diplomacy and sanctions to staunch the Syrian bloodletting, the Obama administration is reviewing its policy alternatives in Syria. This paper, and the associated briefing, provides an overview of U.S. military options, evaluating the pros and cons of each.

May 16, 2014

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Chandler Atwood
Joshua Burgess
Michael Eisenstadt
Joseph Wawro

Brief Analysis

The Riddle of Succession in the Palestinian Authority

A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the road to Palestinian succession, and potential candidates will likely have to form ad hoc alliances that result in significant policy compromises on peacemaking and other issues.

May 14, 2014

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Ehud Yaari

Video

In-Depth Reports

Syria and Its Repercussions

Before Hezbollah's massive intervention in 2013, Bashar al-Assad's forces were nearing exhaustion, Syrian Opposition Coalition chief of staff Monzer Akbik said during a panel discussion at The Washington Institute's 2014 Weinberg Founders Conference on May 8. Assad was facing a catastrophic human-resources and materiel crisis, Akbik said, which the dictator

May 8, 2014

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Monzer Akbik
Hanin Ghaddar

Video

In-Depth Reports

Strategy and Leadership: America's Core Challenges in the Middle East

Martin Indyk, U.S. special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, diagnosed the collapse of recent peace talks in a frank keynote address to the Institute's 2014 Weinberg Founders Conference. Watch his remarks and download a transcript. Also view other sessions, with speakers including Sen. Tim Kaine, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, and former French ambassador to Washington Jean-David Levitte.

May 7, 2014

Video

Brief Analysis

Islamists in Government: Do They Moderate Once in Power?

A senior State Department advisor and two Washington Institute scholars discuss what lessons can -- and cannot -- be drawn from the Islamist political experience in Egypt, Pakistan, Morocco, and other countries.

May 1, 2014

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Eric Trager
Haroon Ullah
Vish Sakthivel

Brief Analysis

Lebanon's Presidential Race

The thorny parliamentary process of selecting a new president could rekindle violence if it results in substantial delays or further sectarian friction.

May 1, 2014

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David Schenker

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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