Energy & Economics

When he came into office, Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani promised a "new Iran" that would be prosperous and powerful; he continued to blame the West -- America, in particular -- rather than recognizing Iran's economic failings. Today, none of this vision has been fulfilled. Instead, the regime faces a deepening

Day-by-day events of the Middle East -- from conflict in South Lebanon, to terrorism in Cairo, to elections in Israel -- obscure already well-established, longer-running economic trends that are having a profound impact on the shape of the region for years to come. Increasing populations, declining oil revenues and the

As the United States and its Western allies prepare to invest treasure and troops in Bosnia in order to support stability in the Balkans, European Parliamentarians in Strasbourg have the opportunity to support regional stability merely by raising their hands to vote in favor of a customs union agreement with

As Israeli Prime Minister Rabin visits Washington, Russian Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin is in the Persian Gulf on a visit to several Arab Gulf states. Chernomyrdin's trip is the latest in a series of diplomatic visits, initiatives and high level statements which cumulatively signal that Russian policy toward the Gulf

Tourism offers an opportunity to promote the economic development of the Levant, demonstrate the material rewards of peace, and forge cooperation between Israel and its neighbors. To be economically sound, however, regional cooperation must generate additional tourism, rather than redistributing existing visitors. Foreign governments and international aid agencies can encourage

Even as the historic signing of the Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on September 13, 1993 has raised hopes for an end to conflict, it has also created new challenges and opportunities for actually implementing peace in the Middle East. All the parties acknowledge that the political success of the peace

While economic issues have not been a driving force in the Arab-Israeli peace process in the past, they are sure to play a critically important role in the historic negotiations looming ahead. Across the wide Sinai expanse, Egypt and Israel have little to show in the way of economic ties

"Will sanctions against Iraq work?" is a question too ambiguous to be useful. It leaves unspecified such key issues as what we want sanctions to accomplish and how Iraq would react if sanctions started to pinch. And, then, how much does Saddam Hussein care about what happens to Iraq's economy

In the last decade, Syria has forcefully opposed U.S.-supported peace initiatives for Lebanon and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Syria’s inflexibility has persuaded many observers that little can be done to influence its president, Hafez al-Assad. In fact, much can be done once his vulnerabilities are understood. In this Policy Paper, Patrick