U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

Scrutinizing the U.S.-Arab Effort to Supply Energy to Lebanon via Syria

Residents of the beleaguered country desperately need electricity, but a U.S.-Arab scheme carries complications that could benefit Syria's Assad regime.

Dec 16, 2021

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Katherine Bauer
Ben Fishman
Hanin Ghaddar
Simon Henderson
David Schenker
Andrew J. Tabler

In-Depth Reports

Seasoned Skeptics

Why Syrian Kurds Have Resisted Political Islam

The historic role of Sufism, an inclination toward the secular left, and recent repression under extremists have all driven the Kurds away from religiously informed ideology.

Dec 13, 2021

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Sirwan Kajjo
Oula A. Alrifai

President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken host the Summit for Democracy. Source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

The Summit for Democracy Skips the Arab World

To address the region’s democracy gap, Washington needs to develop consistent messaging on reform objectives and help its partners focus on achievable goals such as protecting free speech, dissidents, and civil society.

Dec 8, 2021

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Ben Fishman

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivers public remarks.

Articles & Testimony

Tehran Won’t Tolerate a Reset with Washington—But Will Take a Deal

As the previous nuclear agreement showed, U.S. officials don’t need to change the regime’s mind about America’s supposedly nefarious intentions in order to cut a deal.

Dec 6, 2021

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Amir Toumaj

Video

Brief Analysis

Three experts discuss how Washington should shape its regional response to persistent protest movements, economic struggles, and democratic backsliding.

Dec 2, 2021

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Chiraz Arbi
Yasir Zaidan
Alberto Fernandez

Afghan women attend a photography class, 2013.

Articles & Testimony

The Taliban Remain the Same, But Society Has Changed

Years of U.S. involvement visibly advanced the dignity and prospects of Afghan women, but wholly abandoning them now would risk undoing much of this progress.

Dec 1, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Video

Brief Analysis

How Tehran Views Washington

Researchers discuss Iran’s mindset toward the Biden administration and the country’s prospects for internal change as nuclear talks resume in Vienna.

Dec 1, 2021

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Amir Toumaj
Sanam Vakil

President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin shake hands at the White House as the Camp David Accords are announced.

Video

Brief Analysis

American Peace Process Diplomacy: What Works? What Doesn’t?

The authors of three recent books on Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter, and James Baker explore the lessons that today’s leaders can learn from their landmark peacemaking efforts.

Nov 30, 2021

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Martin Indyk
Stuart Eizenstat
Susan Glasser

Brief Analysis

Delta Crescent Energy: Refining U.S. Stabilization Strategies in Northeast Syria

If the Biden administration moves forward with canceling the company’s license, it will need to prepare for increased military and economic pressure in the northeast amid further encroachment by Russian personnel.

Nov 24, 2021

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Calvin Wilder
Kenneth R. Rosen

Audio

Brief Analysis

Podcast: Russia's War in Syria

Leading scholars examine the origins and current trends of Russian involvement in the Middle East, as well as implications for U.S. strategy in the region.

Nov 23, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Lester Grau
Michael McFaul

◆ Middle East PolicyCast

Articles & Testimony

US Leads a Global Release of Oil from Reserves, But Will It Outmaneuver OPEC+?

Besides reopening the debate about proper use of the strategic reserve, the decision is not guaranteed to sway Washington’s tussle with Moscow and Riyadh.

Nov 23, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Biden, Jordan's King Abdullah, Crown Prince Hussein

In-Depth Reports

Preparing for Orderly Change in Jordan When the Time Comes

The kingdom has navigated tricky successions in the past, and many of the elements that allowed it to do so remain in place today.

Nov 22, 2021

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Ghaith al-Omari

◆ Sudden Succession Essay Series

Ardeshir Zahedi, then Iran's ambassador to the United States, with Robert F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in Washington, DC.

Articles & Testimony

Ardeshir Zahedi: Legend and Lesson

The career of Iran's last pre-revolution ambassador to the United States offers both an example and a warning to American policymakers and diplomats today.

Nov 19, 2021

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Martin Kramer

A Middle Eastern migrant with guards at the Belarus/Poland border. Source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

The EU Migrant Crisis: Options for Border Security and U.S. Interests

Spurred by conflicts in the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan, the migration emergency in Belarus gives Washington an opportunity to foster cooperative agreements and goodwill.

Nov 19, 2021

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Kenneth R. Rosen
Calvin Wilder

Iranian woman drummer with bandmate at cafe

In-Depth Reports

Iranian Perceptions of the U.S. Soft Power Threat

Fearing a Western-inspired overthrow, Tehran has intensified enforcement of morality laws, purged professors from universities, and poured billions of dollars into the creation of a separate national intranet.

Nov 14, 2021

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Amir Toumaj

Israeli Prime Minister Bennett meets US officials in Washington

Articles & Testimony

How Israel Should Navigate the New American Landscape

America’s broad inclination toward retrenchment is unlikely to abate anytime soon, but Israeli leaders can still do much to remind Washington why basic regional stability is so essential to its interests.

Nov 9, 2021

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Dennis Ross

Video

Brief Analysis

The Future of Putin's War in Syria

A former U.S. ambassador to Russia joins two experts for a discussion on what the six-year intervention can tell us about Moscow’s broader foreign policy.

Nov 8, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Lester Grau
Michael McFaul

Brief Analysis

Strategy Session on Non-Kinetic Counterterrorism Tools

Read statements from officials and experts who participated in a conference on non-military tactics in the global fight against terrorism.

Nov 8, 2021

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Brief Analysis

Top Agenda Items for the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue

In addition to continuing the discussion of withheld U.S. funding, Secretary Blinken’s team should focus on steering Cairo toward productive steps in Ethiopia, Sudan, Libya, Lebanon, and Syria.

Nov 5, 2021

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

Biden Needs a Plan B for Yemen If Houthis Win

Ending the war under the current circumstances will generate new problems unless further steps are taken to interdict weapons smuggling and bolster security in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea.

Nov 4, 2021

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David Schenker

Supported by the

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East focuses on the region as a setting for heightened competition between the United States and other world powers, such as China and Russia.

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U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

Regions & Countries

Issues

U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

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