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U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

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Articles & Testimony
When Humanitarian Aid Becomes a Bargaining Chip
Cross-border access into Syria has become a stress test for Putin and Biden’s nascent relationship, so what exactly will it take for their governments to reach a durable agreement?
Jul 1, 2021
◆
  • Jomana Qaddour
Chinese and U.S. flags flutter at a trade meeting in Shanghai
Articles & Testimony
China and the United States in the Middle East: Between Dependency and Rivalry
Washington's current regional posture of heavy presence but strategic diffidence offers China the best of both worlds—a continued American security umbrella over countries increasingly interested in diversifying their great power relationships.
June 2021
◆
  • Michael Singh
Articles & Testimony
The Iran Nuclear Deal Isn’t the Problem. Iran Is.
Tehran’s provision of training and weapons to regional militants never stopped even under heavy U.S. sanctions, so the Biden administration needs to do much more than just reinstate the JCPOA.
Jun 29, 2021
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  • James Jeffrey
  • Dennis Ross
A man manipulates cables on a bank of internet data servers - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Iranian Website Seizures: Avoiding a Blanket Approach
Tehran is increasingly relying on its vast regional propaganda machine to pursue its anti-American objectives, but policymakers need to be simultaneously more precise and more comprehensive in how they counter it.
Jun 29, 2021
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  • Hamdi Malik
Brief Analysis
Deterring Militias in Iraq: What Works and What Doesn’t
Striking back one time in twelve will not stop Iranian proxy attacks, so Washington must consider more consistent and painful retaliation in order to protect Americans in the Middle East.
Jun 28, 2021
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  • Michael Knights
U.S. and Iranian flags
Articles & Testimony
Iran’s Propaganda Outlets Take a Hit
U.S. website seizures are unlikely to have much direct impact on Iran’s media, nuclear, or terrorist activities, but they should serve as another wake-up call about the regime’s ultimate objectives and modus operandi.
Jun 25, 2021
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  • David Pollock
Video
Brief Analysis
Preventing Domestic Terrorism: The DHS Approach and the New U.S. Strategy
The Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention discusses why the agency and its partners need to focus on nimble, transparent responses to the problem, with an emphasis on prevention efforts via the newly formed CP3.
Jun 23, 2021
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  • John D. Cohen
◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series
Accidental Allies cover
In-Depth Reports
Accidental Allies:
The US–Syrian Democratic Forces Partnership Against the Islamic State
To some, America's partnership with the SDF exemplified an economy-of-force effort that minimized U.S. casualties and wrested control of northeast Syria from the Islamic State. To others, it was a cautionary tale about a U.S. military hoodwinked into working with a terrorist group.
Jun 22, 2021
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  • Michael Knights
  • Wladimir van Wilgenburg
Iraq protestors 2019
In-Depth Reports
Promoting Sovereignty and Accountability in Iraq:
Guidelines for the Biden Administration
The complexity of Iraq’s challenges might prompt some U.S. officials to balk, but a constructive policy can help advance both Iraqi and American interests in areas ranging from counterterrorism to economic development.
Jun 17, 2021
◆
  • Bilal Wahab
◆ Transition 2021
Video
Brief Analysis
The Last Vote? Obstacles to Renewing UN Cross-Border Assistance in Syria
Amid talk of a potential new Security Council resolution, veteran diplomats and aid practitioners debate the future of humanitarian assistance to needy Syrians.
Jun 16, 2021
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  • James Jeffrey
  • Basma Alloush
  • Carsten Wieland
Articles & Testimony
The Mediterranean Should Be on Joe Biden’s Mind When He Meets Putin
Despite its consistent rhetoric toward Moscow, the administration has not yet demonstrated its strategic understanding that ceding too much operating space to Russia will hurt U.S. efforts to confront China.
Jun 14, 2021
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
Articles & Testimony
Rethinking Sustainable U.S. Efforts on Counterterrorism
Shifting away from a U.S.-led military posture will require Washington to repair its damaged credibility with allies abroad and disentangle counterterrorism budgets at home.
Jun 11, 2021
◆
  • Matthew Levitt
Brief Analysis
Preserving the Lebanese Armed Forces Amid State Decline
Although continued pressure on the country’s political elites is necessary, the U.S. government needs to find more immediate ways of helping soldiers and citizens by making creative use of State, Defense, and congressional authorities.
Jun 9, 2021
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  • David Schenker
  • Grant Rumley
Articles & Testimony
The Policy Consequences of Arab State Normalization with the Assad Regime
In addition to undermining the Biden administration’s promised focus on human rights, allowing Assad to regain legitimacy abroad would constitute a strategic blunder that cannot be explained away.
Jun 2, 2021
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  • Oula A. Alrifai
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Stars: cracked earth climate change, U.S. military insignia, tankers, drone
In-Depth Reports
Beyond Forever Wars and Great Power Competition:
Rethinking the U.S. Military Role in the Middle East
To meet future security challenges, the United States will need to reassess how it deters adversaries and conducts security force assistance in the region, while becoming more proficient in gray zone operations and information activities. Addressing cultural factors and trends such as climate change will require solutions outside the traditional national security toolkit.
Jun 1, 2021
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  • Michael Eisenstadt
◆ Transition 2021
President Joe Biden speaks on the phone in the Oval Office of the White House
Articles & Testimony
Biden Must Manage the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The administration should take a three-track approach: provide a formula of reconstruction with no rearmament, bolster the PA through assistance conditioned on reform, and broker Arab outreach to open the horizon.
Jun 1, 2021
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  • Dennis Ross
President Donald Trump speaks about Syria
Articles & Testimony
The Inside Story of How Trump ‘Kept the Oil’ in Syria and Lost
The ambitious plan would have seen Delta Crescent, a tiny Delaware company, try to bring peace and stability to the war-ravaged northeast, but local corruption, a lack of U.S. commitment, and other complications doomed the idea.
May 31, 2021
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  • Kenneth R. Rosen
Chinese and U.S. flags flutter at a trade meeting in Shanghai
Articles & Testimony
Beijing Is Social Media Trolling Biden Over Gaza
China’s "wolf warrior" diplomacy has discovered the Middle East, catching Washington unprepared.
May 26, 2021
◆
  • Michael Singh
Secretary of State Antony Blinken
Articles & Testimony
Why Blinken Will Have a Tough Sell
The Biden administration cannot solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem today, but it can shrink the conflict by helping both sides take small steps toward a two-state solution.
May 25, 2021
◆
  • David Makovsky
Muqawama Tansiqiya
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
When the Tansiqiya Speaks in AAH's Absence
The May 20 Gaza protest in Baghdad saw the Tansiqiya speak in the notable absence of any Asaib Ahl al-Haq members, and the event was conspicuously ignored by AAH channels.
May 24, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight

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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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Featured experts

Robert Satloff - source: The Washington Institute
Robert Satloff
Robert Satloff is the Segal Executive Director of The Washington Institute, a post he assumed in January 1993.
Ambassador Dennis Ross
Dennis Ross
Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.
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Michael Singh
Michael Singh is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
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