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Shia Politics

Policy Analysis on Shia Politics

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Articles & Testimony
Hezbollah Is Vulnerable. Lokman Slim's Assassination Proves It.
The Biden administration and the French government must draw clear redlines, or the group will escalate its campaign of terror.
Feb 16, 2021
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
In-Depth Reports
A Paris Reset on Hezbollah? Implications for French Interests and Regional Security
In this study, counterterrorism expert Matthew Levitt explores the history and current status of Hezbollah operations against French interests, and details how a change in Paris's longstanding opposition to designating the group could bolster French efforts to stabilize Lebanon.
Oct 20, 2020
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  • Matthew Levitt
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
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Green Without Borders: The Operational Benefits of Hezbollah's Environmental NGO
In this illuminating Policy Note -- complete with detailed maps and satellite imagery -- Matthew Levitt and Samantha Stern tell the story of the Lebanese NGO Green Without Borders and explain why the mandate for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon must be reworked.
May 14, 2020
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  • Matthew Levitt
  • Samantha Stern
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Honored, Not Contained: The Future of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces
In this detailed Policy Focus, meant as a primer for Iraqi and international agencies, leading scholars examine the current status of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces.
Mar 23, 2020
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  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Articles & Testimony
Iran Is Losing the Middle East, Protests in Lebanon and Iraq Show
Recent upsurges in dissent cross sectarian lines and reveal the governing incompetence at the core of Iranian proxy leadership.
Oct 22, 2019
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
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
Brief Analysis
Hezbollah’s Lebanese Allies Can Be Contained
The group’s local partners complied when U.S. officials warned them to back off a recent political smear campaign, but more should be done to expose and exploit their rifts.
Aug 13, 2019
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
Articles & Testimony
Landmine Hazards Likely to Long Outlast Yemen War
Clearance efforts can have an outsize impact, especially if supported by improvements in local governance.
Jul 26, 2019
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  • Elana DeLozier
Articles & Testimony
Popular Mobilization Force Reform in Iraq: Reintegration or Consolidation of Militia Power?
Recent decisions by the Iraqi PM to curtail militia influence may just swap one threat for another.
Jul 8, 2019
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  • Michael Knights
In-Depth Reports
Lebanon: Future Leadership of the State and the State Within Sudden Succession Essay Series
Sudden Succession Essay Series
The Taif Accord, which ended Lebanon’s civil war almost three decades ago, stipulated that the country’s president be Christian, the prime minister be Sunni, and the parliament speaker be Shia. Today, two of these figures—President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri—are in their eighties, and both demonstrate sympathy for Hezbollah, the Shia militia and party that serves as a national power broker.
Jun 11, 2019
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
Brief Analysis
Can Asaib Ahl al-Haq Join the Political Mainstream?
The Iraqi militia seeks to follow peers like the Sadrist movement and Badr Organization, but it must first back up its rhetoric with moderating actions.
Feb 14, 2019
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  • Michael Knights
  • Frzand Sherko
Brief Analysis
The Shia Arabs of Khuzestan
Tribal identity supersedes religious affiliation in this community, helping explain why Tehran can expect further challenges from this southwestern province.
Sep 25, 2018
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  • Mehdi Khalaji
Articles & Testimony
Terrorist Attack in Iran a Concern for Saudis, Oil Markets
Iranian disruption of Saudi production could wreak havoc on global oil markets, and be challenging to counter absent clear fingerprints from Tehran.
Sep 24, 2018
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  • Simon Henderson

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