U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, speaks in a recorded interview released in Jan. 2019. Photo credit: Screenshot by Cole Bunzel via Twitter.

Why Is It So Difficult to Get Off a Terrorist List?

Strategic priorities, political factors, and institutional inertia make it hard to remove a group from government lists even if it no longer meets the designation criteria, potentially hog-tying U.S. policymakers.

Jul 3, 2022

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

Israel Hoping for Shift in US Iran Policy from Diplomacy to Deterrence

A veteran Israeli security and intelligence official explains why the Biden administration must reinvigorate oil sanctions and demonstrate a commitment to act militarily.

Jun 30, 2022

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Zohar Palti

Fikra Forum

Implications of the Sadrist Withdrawal for the Shia Coordination Framework and Iran

The conflict between the Sadrists and the Shia Coordination Framework signals the potential for a new political order in Iraq and a shift in Iran's influence in the country.

Jun 29, 2022

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Firas Elias

Articles & Testimony

One Small Handshake for the United States, One Giant Leap for U.S.-Saudi Relations

President Biden has a powerful moral imperative for ending his feud with the crown prince: to ensure that the kingdom’s gradual pivot away from extremism doesn’t falter.

Jun 29, 2022

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Robert Satloff

Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia

Articles & Testimony

Can Biden Convince Saudis to See the Western Position on Russia?

Improving U.S. relations with Riyadh is the only way to shift the Saudi stance toward Russia—failing that, Biden’s trip is unlikely to yield a strategic success.

Jun 28, 2022

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Turkish president Erdogan at NATO headquarters in Brussels

Brief Analysis

What Biden Faces with Erdogan at the NATO Summit

The Turkish leader has been trying to leverage Sweden and Finland’s accession to weaken international support for the YPG in Syria, but he may be content with symbolic concessions that boost his reelection chances.

Jun 28, 2022

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Soner Cagaptay

Drawing of oil pipeline, Iraq, Kurdistan

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

The Necessary U.S. Role in Fixing the Baghdad-Kurdistan Energy Dispute

A targeted intervention could aid American interests and the global effort to find a substitute for Russian and Iranian oil and gas.

Jun 27, 2022

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Michael Knights

Photo of Israeli politicians Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid delivering a statement..

Video

Brief Analysis

The Israeli Government Falls: New Election and Implications for U.S.-Israel Relations

Watch an expert webcast examining the collapse of the year-old coalition government, the impact on President Biden’s upcoming Middle East trip, and the potential consequences for broader U.S.-Israel policy.

Jun 27, 2022

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David Makovsky
Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

The Facts on What’s Behind Our Energy Crunch and High Gas Prices

An expert untangles the many factors driving energy costs amid complications such as the Ukraine crisis, U.S.-Saudi diplomacy, and the green debate.

Jun 24, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Engaging the Saudis Does Not Require Biden to Forgo Our Concern for Human Rights

The president will still be able to set boundaries with Riyadh—while also addressing other major issues such as national security, rampant energy costs, and normalization with Israel.

Jun 22, 2022

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Dennis Ross

Ships of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet on exercise in the Persian Gulf

Articles & Testimony

Fixing Washington’s Gulf Rift

From Abu Dhabi and Riyadh’s perspective, there is no substitute for an American partner with the will to militarily deter or answer Iran’s regional aggression.

Jun 21, 2022

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David Schenker

Israeli and UAE flags flying together in Abu Dhabi - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

The Abraham Accords and the Changing Shape of the Middle East

A veteran U.S. diplomat reflects on the decades of direct engagement that paved the way to the accords, which have since opened a new avenue for curbing Iran and reanimating Israeli-Palestinian progress.

Jun 21, 2022

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Dennis Ross

Three-star rank insignia of a US Army Lieutenant General

Articles & Testimony

How Pentagon Bureaucracy Could Undermine West Bank Security

The proposal to downgrade the U.S. Security Coordinator from a three-star general to a colonel could decimate a crucial mission, especially amid the recent uptick in Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

Jun 16, 2022

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Shira Efron
Ghaith al-Omari

President Joe Biden speaks on the phone in the Oval Office of the White House

Articles & Testimony

A Month Out, the Spin Begins on Expectations of Biden’s Saudi Arabia Trip

Despite the recent emphasis on Washington’s “oil vs. human rights” dilemma, the visit’s greatest impact may wind up falling in the Arab-Israel arena.

Jun 15, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Video

Brief Analysis

Al-Qaeda, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and the Future of Jihadism

A panel of leading counterterrorism scholars and practitioners discuss the evolving face of the global jihadist movement amid changes in Washington’s CT posture.

Jun 15, 2022

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Anastasia Smith
Aaron Y. Zelin
Matthew Levitt

Video

Brief Analysis

The KRG Turns Thirty: The Future of U.S.-Kurdish Relations in Iraq (Part 2)

In the second of three discussions marking the thirty-year anniversary of the KRG, experts spotlight the impressive U.S.-Kurdish legacy along with current challenges facing the partnership.

Jun 9, 2022

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Jennifer Gavito
Qubad Talabani
Bilal Wahab

◆ The KRG Turns Thirty

Brief Analysis

Rhetoric Meets Reality in Jawlani’s Push for Self-Sufficiency

As a key UN vote approaches, Washington should push Turkey to help promote a diverse, balanced economy in HTS-controlled northwest Syria.

Jun 8, 2022

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Aaron Y. Zelin

An Egyptian guard inspects bomb damage near the Gaza border in Sinai

Articles & Testimony

Egypt's Remilitarized Sinai Is a Future Powder Keg

Cairo needs to hear from Israel, the United States, and the Multinational Force & Observers that its security violations erode the Egypt-Israel peace.

Jun 3, 2022

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David Schenker

High Oil Prices, Middle East Politics Cast Shadow Over Summer’s Start

The Biden administration is seeking to break a stalemate with MbS in Riyadh, but moves by Russia and Iran will also affect the trajectory of energy markets.

May 31, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Redeploying US Troops to Somalia Is the Right Move

The country’s terrorist challenge grew in the absence of American forces, requiring the Biden administration to reestablish strong connections with local personnel on the ground.

May 25, 2022

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Ido Levy

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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Featured experts

Robert Satloff

Robert Satloff is 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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