U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

With Tehran testing the limits of European patience, Washington has an opening to forge a united front, offer conditional leeway on some sanctions, and push the Iranians back to the negotiating table.

Nov 15, 2019

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

Why Erdogan Wants to Get Along with Trump

The Turkish leader knows that if he cannot restore economic growth at home or stay just out of Russia’s permanent orbit, his political troubles will only increase.

Nov 14, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Audio

Decision Points Podcast: Season 1

The U.S.-Israel Relationship

"Decision Points" is a new podcast that is both a history lesson, a biography of the key Israelis and Americans that shaped the modern bond between the two nations, and a quest to understand how these decision points continue to reverberate today.

Nov 13, 2019

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David Makovsky

◆ Decision Points Podcast

Video

Brief Analysis

Counterterrorism in an Era of Competing Priorities: Ten Key Considerations

In this in-depth briefing, a leading CT official discusses how to address diverse challenges ranging from border security and document forgery to online radicalization and far-right copycat attacks.

Nov 12, 2019

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Russell Travers

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Articles & Testimony

Iraqi Freedom Confronts Iranian Domination

The United States has turned toward realpolitik, but it has a strategic interest in backing demonstrators.

Nov 11, 2019

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Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

The Counter-ISIS Coalition Has Much to Do After Baghdadi’s Death

From dissolving the group’s caliphate to killing its leader, the coalition has notched major achievements, but all that work may be for naught if the United States and other members do not renew their cooperation at the upcoming ministerial meeting.

Nov 7, 2019

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Erdogan in Washington: Setting the Agenda for a Pivotal Visit

The Trump administration needs to treat the meeting as a chance to frankly address congressional concerns and defuse a host of hot-button issues, from Syria policy to F-35 production.

Nov 7, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay
Anna Borshchevskaya
Conor Hiney
Dana Stroul

Brief Analysis

Using American Soft Power to Counter Russian Influence in Iraq

Moscow is beating Washington at the reputational game in Iraq, raising the need for greater U.S. engagement on education and media outreach rather than just security issues.

Nov 6, 2019

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Articles & Testimony

Why the Talk of 'Endless Wars' Misses the Mark

Military means have often been used to promote peace and stability, such as during the Cold War deployments to Europe and the 1990s NATO mission in the Balkans.

Nov 6, 2019

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

Recalling the Hostage Crisis That Made Iran Forever Hostile to the U.S.

A former correspondent in Tehran reflects on how the crisis set the stage for many of Washington’s current difficulties with the regime, and whether anything has really changed.

Nov 5, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

After Baghdadi: How the Islamic State Rebounds

The back-to-back deaths of the IS leader and allegedly one of his likely successors mark a significant counterterrorism accomplishment, but neither high-profile deaths nor the territorial loss of the so-called caliphate will translate into the organization’s defeat.

Oct 28, 2019

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Katherine Bauer
Matthew Levitt
Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

The U.S.: Between Being the World’s Policeman and Trusting Regional Partners

Despite long-documented public weariness with Middle East conflicts, Trump’s successor could well recognize the value of reestablishing American credibility in the region.

Oct 28, 2019

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

The World Needs Europe as a Global Player

There can be no opting out for the United States or Europe; the only question is whether they will face their mutual threats capably and cooperatively.

Oct 26, 2019

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Michael Singh

‘Erdogan the Good’ or ‘Erdogan the Bad’?

An in-depth conversation on Washington's misguided tendency to view Turkey through binary lenses based entirely on Erdogan’s policies, forgetting the country’s strong political diversity.

Oct 25, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Kurdish Reactions to Their Abandonment in Syria

The U.S. withdrawal of troops from northeast Syria has placed Kurdish fighters in a near-impossible situation, while alarming Kurdish communities in other countries, but Washington can still take steps to mitigate the damage.

Oct 25, 2019

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Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

The Islamic State in Syria After the U.S. Withdrawal

Recent U.S. decisions have seemingly ignored the degree to which the group is continuing its insurgent attacks and reorganizing its supporters inside increasingly vulnerable detention facilities.

Oct 23, 2019

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Brief Analysis

Exposing and Sanctioning Human Rights Violations by Iraqi Militias

As new protests and further government crackdowns loom, Washington should call out abuses by Iran-backed entities and sanction the key offenders.

Oct 22, 2019

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Michael Knights

A view of the Al-Hawl (or Al-Hol) ISIS detention camp in Syria - source: Reuters

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

Wilayat al-Hawl:

'Remaining' and Incubating the Next Islamic State Generation

Many inhabitants of the al-Hol camp still profess loyalty to the jihadist group and have sought to impose a fundamentalist lifestyle on their fellow residents.

Oct 18, 2019

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

The Geopolitical Stakes in Iraq

Russia has steadily inserted itself into Iraq's military, energy, and educational sectors, and these relationships could turn Baghdad further away from the United States now that the Trump administration has ceded Syria to Moscow.

Oct 17, 2019

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Articles & Testimony

Syria Study Group: Recommendations for U.S. Policy

The following joint statement was submitted to the House Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism in advance of testimony by Dana Stroul and Michael Singh, the Washington Institute fellows who serve as co-chairs of the bipartisan Syria Study Group. Chairman Deutch, Ranking Member Wilson, and members

Oct 16, 2019

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Dana Stroul
Michael Singh

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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Robert Satloff

Robert Satloff is the Segal Executive Director of The Washington Institute, a post he assumed in January 1993.

Dennis Ross

Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Michael Singh

Michael Singh is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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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

Featured experts

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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