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Middle East

Policy Analysis on Middle East

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Women with hands on hearts, Gilroy, California, vigil
In-Depth Reports
Counterterrorism Under the Trump Administration A Fractured Response to a Diversified Threat
The administration's achievements were counterbalanced by a striking lack of alignment among three U.S. national security strategies and the discouraging rapid rise of far-right extremism at home.
Jan 7, 2021
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  • Matthew Levitt
Iran warhead on Iran map
In-Depth Reports
The Coming Iran Nuclear Talks Openings and Obstacles
A reimagined approach to Iran nuclear talks could extend the country’s breakout time, preserve U.S. negotiating leverage, and strengthen American alliances in Europe and across the Middle East.
Jan 5, 2021
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  • Dennis Ross
HSI
Brief Analysis
The Counterterrorism Role of Homeland Security Investigations
Join a live webcast with a senior HSI official, a little-known agency with many unique authorities that is instrumental in solving numerous terrorism cases every year.
Nov 30, 2020
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  • Louis Rodi
Articles & Testimony
The U.S. Needs Europe to End the ‘Forever Wars’ in the Middle East
The election and other factors provide an opportunity to design a humbler but smarter transatlantic approach to the Middle East.
Nov 6, 2020
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  • Charles Thépaut
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
A New West in the Middle East: Toward a Humbler, More Effective Model of Transatlantic Cooperation
U.S.-European cooperation in the Middle East may not rank high in American voters’ minds, but the issue will demand close policy attention in the months ahead. If Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump, European leaders should not allow their undoubted relief to lapse into complacency. And if Trump prevails, they should
Oct 27, 2020
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  • Charles Thépaut
Articles & Testimony
Bandar Speaks Out: The Changing Landscape in the Mideast
Palestinian leaders previously never had to acknowledge their mistakes or account for missed opportunities, preventing them from learning critical lessons and adjusting their behavior.
Oct 19, 2020
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  • Dennis Ross
Brief Analysis
Risks of the Palestinian Authority’s Outreach to Qatar and Turkey
Recent gestures, which have included reconciliation talks with Hamas, could strengthen the PA’s Gaza-based rival, further strain relations with its traditional Arab allies, and spur elections with destabilizing results.
Oct 13, 2020
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  • Ghaith al-Omari
Brief Analysis
Bahrain Move Toward Israel Risks Domestic Reaction
The announcement of a peace deal between Israel and Bahrain suggests that the Gulf island kingdom has reassessed the danger of opposition from both its majority Shia population and its Sunni community.
Sep 11, 2020
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Qatar Strategic Dialogue Offers Opening to End Gulf Rift
The Washington meeting between the United States and Qatar, overlapping with the Israel-UAE signing ceremony on normalization, creates a unique opportunity to resolve the dispute between U.S. allies.
Sep 11, 2020
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  • Simon Henderson
Articles & Testimony
The Ghost of Annexation Past
King Abdullah's 1950 annexation of “Arab Palestine” shows that a bold leader can play his advantages well, redraw the map, gain some recognition, and still leave only regrets.
Jun 25, 2020
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  • Martin Kramer
In-Depth Reports
Wrestling with Annexation: The Elusive Search for a Policy Rationale
As soon as next month, Israel’s new government could approve plans to annex a substantial portion of the West Bank. The trigger for this comes from Washington—a shift by the Trump administration to recognize Israel’s new self-declared borders. But that still doesn’t explain why. What might Israel gain by discarding
Jun 11, 2020
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  • Robert Satloff
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Avoiding an Epic Mistake: The Case for Continuing the U.S. Mission in Sinai
For almost four decades, the Multinational Force & Observers has protected Israel-Egypt peace and anchored stability in the Sinai Peninsula, but a new Pentagon initiative could end the American contribution by late next year. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has indicated that all military endeavors must now fall within a National
May 27, 2020
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  • Assaf Orion
  • Denis Thompson
Articles & Testimony
Baghdadi Is Dead but His Legend Lives On
The Islamic State no longer governs territory, but aspiring jihadists can now point to a caliphate project achieved in their lifetime, a long-held yearning of the international movement.
Oct 29, 2019
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  • Aaron Zelin
Brief Analysis
After Baghdadi: How the Islamic State Rebounds
The back-to-back deaths of the IS leader and allegedly one of his likely successors mark a significant counterterrorism accomplishment, but neither high-profile deaths nor the territorial loss of the so-called caliphate will translate into the organization’s defeat.
Oct 28, 2019
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  • Katherine Bauer
  • Matthew Levitt
  • Aaron Zelin
Articles & Testimony
The U.S.: Between Being the World’s Policeman and Trusting Regional Partners
Despite long-documented public weariness with Middle East conflicts, Trump’s successor could well recognize the value of reestablishing American credibility in the region.
Oct 28, 2019
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  • Dennis Ross
In-Depth Reports
Shifting Landscape: Russia's Military Role in the Middle East
In September 2015, Moscow made its first push outside former Soviet borders when it authorized airstrikes in Syria. More pertinently, the move—and Russia's broader intervention in Syria—constituted a step toward reshaping the whole regional balance of power, taking advantage of a diminishing U.S. footprint. According to the Russian defense minister
Sep 25, 2019
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
In-Depth Reports
Shia Leadership After Sistani Sudden Succession Essay Series
Sudden Succession Essay Series
The current holder of the highest clerical rank in Shia Islam is eighty-nine-year-old Ali al-Sistani, who is based in Najaf, Iraq. Sistani has played an important role in Iraq’s post-Saddam era, supporting political reconciliation and a constitution-based society. While the transnational reach of marjaiya will likely diminish after Sistani leaves the scene, the specific contours of this shift and Tehran's efforts to intervene remain an open question.
Sep 10, 2019
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  • Ali Mamouri
  • Mehdi Khalaji
Video
In-Depth Reports
Inside the Trump Administration's Middle East Peace Effort: A Conversation With Jared Kushner
Watch a keynote conversation between White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Institute executive director Rob Satloff.
Apr 29, 2019
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  • Jared Kushner
  • Robert Satloff
In-Depth Reports
Sudan: The End Comes for Bashir Sudden Succession Essay Series
Sudden Succession Essay Series
The Washington Institute has recently been sponsoring a series of discussions about sudden succession in the Middle East. Each session focuses on scenarios that might unfold if a specific ruler or leader departed the scene tomorrow. Questions include these: Would the sudden change lead to different policies? Would it affect
Apr 15, 2019
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  • Alberto Fernandez
In-Depth Reports
The King Is Dead! Does It Matter? Sudden Succession Essay Series
Sudden Succession Essay Series
The Washington Institute has recently been sponsoring a series of discussions about sudden succession in the Middle East. Each session focuses on scenarios that might unfold if a specific ruler or leader departed the scene tomorrow. Questions include these: Would the sudden change lead to different policies? Would it affect
Apr 11, 2019
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  • Martin Kramer

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