Military & Security

Policy Analysis on Military & Security

Deteriorating security in the Sinai Peninsula threatens not only the peacekeepers based there, but also the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty.

Jun 4, 2012

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David Schenker

In-Depth Reports

Beyond Worst-Case Analysis:

Iran's Likely Responses to an Israeli Preventive Strike

Although an Israeli preventive strike on Iran's nuclear program would be a high-risk endeavor carrying a potential for escalation in the Levant or the Persian Gulf, it would not be the apocalyptic event that some foresee. In this Policy Note, two Washington Institute military experts assess the likelihood of various

Jun 1, 2012

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Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Knights

Articles & Testimony

The Turkey-Syria Military Balance

After the number of Syrian refugees entering Turkey reached 25,000 in April, public statements by senior Turkish officials began raising the possibility of military action. Specifically, Ankara has hinted at the possibility of establishing a buffer zone or safe haven inside Syria to defend the civilian population and contain the

May 31, 2012

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Soner Cagaptay
Coskun Unal

Brief Analysis

Assad's Response to the Annan Plan: Violence as Usual

In light of the Houla tragedy and other indicators of growing violence, the UN observer mission in Syria will likely be withdrawn, spurring the regime to escalate its offensive operations even further.

May 29, 2012

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Jeffrey White

Articles & Testimony

Command and Control

This week, the world's major powers resumed negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Should they fail, the specter of a possible Israeli strike looms large, seeming to grow more likely as Tehran's nuclear program advances. In recent weeks, however, the conventional wisdom has shifted to favor the view that

May 23, 2012

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David Makovsky
Olivia Holt-Ivry

In-Depth Reports

Finding a Balance:

U.S. Security Interests and the Arab Awakening

The Arab Awakening—in which local youths accomplished through weeks of nonviolent action what al-Qaeda had failed to do through years of terrorism and bloodshed—has created significant opportunities to counter radical Islamist propaganda and leverage financial tools against violently repressive regimes. Yet it has also strained the intelligence community's resources, forcing

May 23, 2012

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Too Early to Expect a Breakthrough on Iran

While the upcoming talks in Baghdad are unlikely to lead to a breakthrough, Washington should use them to determine whether a deal is ultimately possible.

May 22, 2012

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Syria's Crisis Reaches Beirut

The latest clashes in Beirut show that as long as the Syrian conflict persists, Lebanon's internal security will be increasingly at risk.

May 21, 2012

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Andrew Engel

Articles & Testimony

Winter or Spring: Islamists, the Military, and Post-Revolution Politics in Egypt

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Middle East Insights (vol. 3, no. 3). To read the full article, download the PDF. The so-called "Arab Spring" has forever changed the face of the Middle East, and it's not finished. While the revolts that toppled longtime autocrats

May 11, 2012

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David Schenker

Video

In-Depth Reports

Iran Policy Options: Prevention, Containment, and the Nuclear Challenge

Experts tied to the administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush agreed that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons should be American foreign policy and that an Israeli military strike against the country’s nuclear facilities is inadvisable this year. Speaking to The Washington Institute’s Weinberg Founders Conference, Colin

May 5, 2012

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Colin Kahl
Jamie Fly

Video

In-Depth Reports

2012 Weinberg Founders Conference

Navigating the New 'New Middle East': Challenges for U.S. Policy

From May 4, through Sunday noon, May 6, The Washington Institute explored the full range of Middle East policy challenges at the 2012 Weinberg Founders Conference, which brought together policymakers, diplomats, journalists, experts, and private citizens for a lively weekend of discussion and debate. Watch plenary sessions of the conference

May 2, 2012

Brief Analysis

Combating Transnational Organized Crime

The Defense Department's deputy assistant secretary for counternarcotics and global threats addressed an off-the-record Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. The following is an excerpt from his prepared remarks. "The U.S. government has, for decades, dedicated significant resources to stemming the flow of illicit drugs into the United States, and

Apr 26, 2012

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William F. Wechsler

Brief Analysis

Russia's Position on Iran's Nuclear Program

In the April 14 talks in Istanbul, Russia demonstrated once again that it could be a team player. But Moscow's cooperative front with the other members of the P5+1 group originates not in a pure desire to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue but rather in a bid to gain leverage

Apr 19, 2012

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Nikolay Kozhanov

Brief Analysis

Could the Gulf States Intervene in Syria?

The participation of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the Libyan conflict demonstrated the Gulf Cooperation Council's activism and capability. In recent months, therefore, speculation has focused on possible GCC intervention in the Syrian civil war. On February 27, Qatari prime minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani told the Friends

Apr 17, 2012

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Assad Continues Violent Attacks on the Opposition

Data from one of the key Syrian opposition groups, the Local Coordination Committees (LCC), shows a persistent pattern of violent, armed regime actions against the people despite the ceasefire that supposedly went into force last week ( view the Syria Incident Database). The regime has effectively continued its struggle against

Apr 17, 2012

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Jeffrey White

Iraq Update: An Interview

This interview was conducted for Global Politics by Robert Tollast, a graduate of Royal Holloway University of London who has interviewed various diplomats for Small Wars Journal . In March, the Iraqi government imposed tight security restrictions on Baghdad to host the Arab League summit, the first to be held

Apr 13, 2012

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Michael Knights

Video

Brief Analysis

The Free Syrian Army: A Military Assessment

On April 10, 2012, Jeffrey White and Andrew Exum addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Mr. White, a defense fellow at the Institute, previously completed a thirty-four-year career with the Defense Intelligence Agency, serving in a wide variety of senior analytical and leadership positions. Mr. Exum, a senior

Apr 13, 2012

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Jeffrey White
Andrew Exum

Brief Analysis

Bahrain on the Brink Jeopardizes U.S. Interests in the Gulf

The ethnic strife between majority Shiites and the ruling Sunni al-Khalifa family in Bahrain is worsening, with a growing risk that the U.S. naval base there could become contentious.

Apr 12, 2012

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Changed Prospects for Turkish Military Intervention in Syria

Several recent developments have put the possibility of military action in Syria on Turkey's agenda. On April 9, Syrian forces opened fire at a refugee camp on the Turkish side of the border, killing two Syrian refugees and wounding two Turks. The number of such refugees crossing into Turkey has

Apr 12, 2012

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Squandered Leverage over Iran

If Washington does not maintain pressure on Iran, it will validate the regime's strategy of defiance, provocation, and delay.

Apr 10, 2012

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Michael Singh

Supported by the

Military and Security Studies Program

The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program has established itself as an unrivaled source of reliable, incisive, and forward-looking analysis concerning several of the most critical national-security challenges facing the United States today: The U.S. military role in the Middle East, Iran's nuclear program and its proxy armies, the ongoing conflict is in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, the regional proliferation of missiles and weapons of mass destruction, the security dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and many other security issues on the frontline of the U.S. policymaking agenda.

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Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt

Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.

Michael Knights

Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and cofounder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to Iran-backed militias.

Grant Rumley

Grant Rumley is the Meisel-Goldberger Senior Fellow and Director of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Elizabeth Dent

Elizabeth Dent is a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where she focuses on U.S. foreign and defense policy toward the Gulf states, Iraq, and Syria.

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