U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

30th Anniversary Address by Vice President Joe Biden

Watch Vice President Joe Biden's address to the Institute's 30th anniversary gala dinner in 2015, where he detailed the administration's approach to the Iranian nuclear challenge.

Apr 30, 2015

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Joe Biden

Video

In-Depth Reports

From Today to January 2017

A Conversation on the Balance of the Obama Administration and the Middle East

Watch a panel discussion among leading international journalists following Vice President Biden's remarks to the Institute's 30th anniversary gala dinner.

Apr 30, 2015

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Judith Miller
Hisham Melhem
Lally Weymouth
Ehud Yaari
Robert Satloff

In-Depth Reports

Remarks of Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew to The Washington Institute

On April 29, 2015, Secretary of the Treasury Jacob J. Lew addressed a gala dinner marking the Institute's 30th anniversary. The event took place at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. Following are Secretary Lew's prepared remarks. I would like to thank my dear friend Barbi Weinberg for

Apr 29, 2015

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Jacob Lew

Brief Analysis

Changing Iran Trends in the Worldwide Threat Assessment

The past two editions of the annual intelligence report show a marked shift away from discussing Iran's hegemonic regional ambitions and terrorism sponsorship.

Apr 14, 2015

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Marina Shalabi
Ian Duff

Brief Analysis

Pushing Back ISIS: Getting the Ground Component Right

U.S. airpower, regular Iraqi troops, and local fighters constitute the model for rolling back ISIS in Anbar and Mosul.

Apr 10, 2015

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

Regional Dimensions of the Syria Train-and-Equip Program

Augmenting the planned force could help address intensifying threats posed by ISIS, along with Iran-backed militias and the Assad regime.

Apr 10, 2015

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Soner Cagaptay
Andrew J. Tabler

Articles & Testimony

The Iranian Deal in Middle Eastern Geopolitics

In recent days, the U.S. Government reshuffled the Middle Eastern deck dramatically, signing a framework agreement with Iran but also buttressing America's traditional regional allies -- supporting the Saudi-led Arab force in Yemen, lifting arms delivery constraints on Egypt, launching air strikes against ISIS in Tikrit after Iran's effort there

Apr 7, 2015

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James Jeffrey

Articles & Testimony

Obama Wrecked U.S.-Egypt Ties

By canceling a weapons financing system that had long served as a signal of Egypt's privileged relationship with Washington, the president might have closed the book on any chance for closer ties during his term.

Apr 7, 2015

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Eric Trager

Video

Brief Analysis

Making Sense of Chaos in the Middle East

Multiple Wars, Multiple Alliances

Volcanic changes in the region are under way, with the outbreak of Sunni-Shiite wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, unprecedented tension between Washington and Israel, and U.S.-Iranian nuclear talks that appear on the verge of breakthrough. Watch an expert discussion of these challenges and the future of U.S. policy in the region.

Apr 6, 2015

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James Jeffrey
Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

How Iran Outmaneuvered the U.S. in Nuclear Talks

If Washington and its negotiating partners do not adjust their approach, the talks could be remembered not as a signature foreign policy accomplishment, but as a case study of a powerful country playing a strong hand poorly.

Apr 6, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

U.S. Policy Toward the Dual Threats to the Arab State

With ISIS and Iran both threatening to upset the state system in the Middle East, Washington needs to adjust its approach accordingly.

Apr 3, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

We've Reached a 'Nuclear Framework' with Iran. So Now What?

No negotiations with the Iranians are easy. The difficulty in producing the framework understanding is a reminder that filling in the details will also prove to be an ordeal. While the framework includes important limitations on the Iranian program, the Iranians will resist the scope of the verification that the

Apr 2, 2015

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Iran Negotiation Isn't Over Until It's Over

If we want to keep the Iranians from cheating, the issue of responses and consequences needs to be clear.

Apr 2, 2015

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Dennis Ross

In-Depth Reports

From the Boston Marathon to the Islamic State: Countering Violent Extremism

Read a collection of Counterterrorism Lectures from November 2013-May 2014.

Apr 1, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Articles & Testimony

Deal or No, Iran Will Remain a Nuclear Threat

Rather than questioning the motivations of skeptics, the Obama administration should demonstrate that it has compelling answers to their concerns about a nuclear deal's potential vulnerabilities, including on breakout time, verification, and response to violations.

Mar 31, 2015

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Yemen Redux: Reclaiming Stability in the Arabian Peninsula

Although Washington's strategy in Yemen has largely unraveled, U.S. officials have several options for building on the current pan-Arab intervention, bolstering the Hadi government, and addressing the causes of instability in the country.

Mar 30, 2015

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Daniel Green

Brief Analysis

U.S. Air Support for Tikrit: The Right Decision

At a time when easy choices no longer exist in the Middle East, Washington's decision to intervene militarily is a sound one, but only if the administration recognizes Iraq's current political and security realities.

Mar 26, 2015

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James Jeffrey

Video

Brief Analysis

Outrage but No Action:

The Obama Administration's Response to Syria's 'Caesar Photos'

On March 19, journalists Adam Entous, Michael Isikoff, and Josh Rogin addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute moderated by Cameron Hudson of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The panel was introduced by Andrew Tabler, a senior fellow in the Institute's Program on Arab Politics. The following is

Mar 26, 2015

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Adam Entous
Michael Isikoff
Josh Rogin
Cameron Hudson
Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

Dual Crises May Intensify Obama-Netanyahu Tensions

To avoid a full-blown diplomatic collision, Obama will have to urgently address concerns about the Iranian nuclear deal, while Netanyahu will need to publicly declare a two-state-minded policy on Israeli settlements.

Mar 23, 2015

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

Save Them from Themselves

If Obama and Netanyahu don't find a way to rebuild burned bridges, the U.S.-Israel alliance and the interests it represents will suffer.

Mar 22, 2015

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Robert Satloff

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 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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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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