U.S. Policy

Since the September 11 attacks, promoting democracy has been a cornerstone of the Bush administration's Middle East policy, viewed as the best antidote to radicalism. Washington has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to advancing Middle Eastern civil society, and the region has witnessed an unprecedented array of elections. In

On October 20, 2006, eighty-three-year-old King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announced changes to the kingdom's "Basic Law" -- effectively its constitution -- that appear to formalize procedures for the selection of future kings. However, it is difficult to know how much the current system of succession will actually change. For

As a longtime negotiator in the Middle East, I learned that the most demanding requirement of peacemaking was just getting each side to adjust to reality. In Iraq today, 3 1/2 years after the United States went to war there, no one seems to be doing that. The Shiites, who

Soner Cagaptay appeared on CNN-Turk's Burasi Washington, ("This Is Washington") on October 15. In an extended interview with CNN-Turk correspondent Yasemin Congar, Mr. Cagaptay discussed issues of critical importance to U.S.-Turkish relations. These included secularism in Turkey, terrorist activity by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, and the

On September 28, 2006, Washington Institute senior fellow Christopher Hamilton testified before the House Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation. Mr. Hamilton directs The Washington Institute's Terrorism Studies Program. The prepared text of his remarks follows. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: I have been

On September 7, 2006, Michael Jacobson, Telmo Baltazar, and Jeremy Shapiro addressed The Washington Institute’s Special Policy Forum. Telmo Baltazar is the political justice and home affairs counselor for the European Commission’s mission to Washington. Jeremy Shapiro is director of research at the Brookings Institution’s Center on the United States

On September 15, 2006, Philip Zelikow delivered the opening keynote address at The Washington Institute's annual Weinberg Founders Conference. Mr. Zelikow is a counselor to the Department of State, in which capacity he serves as the secretary of state's senior policy advisor on a wide range of issues. Previously, he

On September 11, 2006, advisors to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and prime minister Ismail Haniyeh announced that the two had reached agreement on the formation of a national unity government after months of on-again, off-again discussions. The core of the agreement appears to be that Haniyeh will remain prime minister

Advocates of U.S. diplomatic reengagement with Syria have received a clear answer from Damascus. On August 15, Syrian president Bashar Assad gave a lengthy speech to the Syrian Journalists Association condemning the Bush administration, disparaging the United Nations, declaring support for Hezbollah and regional “resistance,” and calling for the removal