Policy Analysis

The year 2005 may mark a turning point in Egyptian history. For the first time in decades, and after much internal pressure, the regime seemed to acknowledge the need for political reform. The year culminated in presidential and parliamentary elections characterized by unprecedented openness, at least on the surface. Although

On January 24, 2006, Yigit Alpogan, secretary-general of Turkey's National Security Council, addressed The Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum. Ambassador Alpogan, who assumed his current post in August 2004 as the first civilian head of the Turkish National Security Council, previously served as the Turkish ambassador to Greece and Turkmenistan

It was never meant to be like this. When the British military started planning for the invasion of Iraq, the southern provinces around the port city of Basra were expected to be a softer option than the central provinces the Americans were asked to deal with. Although Basra proved an

At a time when attention is focused on the problems democracy has brought in one part of the Middle East, such as the Palestinian territories, it has been easy to overlook how democratic processes were key to resolving a crisis in another Middle Eastern country: Kuwait. The January 15 death

On January 23, 2006, Washington Institute executive director Robert Satloff addressed the 2006 Herzliya Conference on the Balance of Israel's National Security. Excerpts from Dr. Satloff's remarks follow. "Beware the unintended consequences of sound policies. On June 24, 2002, President Bush announced a major shift in U.S. policy. No longer

On January 19, 2006, Khalil Shikaki and David Makovsky addressed The Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum. Dr. Shikaki is director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, an associate professor of political science at an-Najah University in Nablus, and a senior fellow at the Crown Center for Middle

On January 11, 2006, James F. Hoge Jr. and Stuart Rothenberg addressed The Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum. Mr. Hoge is the Peter G. Peterson chair at the Council on Foreign Relations and editor of its flagship journal, Foreign Affairs. Mr. Rothenberg is editor and publisher of the Rothenberg Political

As it has become increasingly clear that Ariel Sharon will never be able to resume his duties as Israel's prime minister after suffering a massive stroke, the country has prepared to move on. But life after Sharon is not so simple, particularly as Palestinians prepare to hold elections Wednesday when

In the West Bank, there is definite excitement in the air. Campaign posters are festooned everywhere in Ramallah in advance of tomorrow's Palestinian parliamentary elections. Hamas is contesting these elections for the first time, and all polls point to the organization running very strongly. On a recent visit to Ramallah

Ahead of January 2006 Palestinian legislative elections, Western officials are underestimating the risks of a Hamas victory and violence.

On January 23, 2006, Washington Institute distinguished military fellow Lt. Gen. (ret.) Moshe Yaalon (IDF) addressed the 2006 Herzliya Conference on the outlines of a defensible border for Israel. These are his remarks.

On January 23, 2006, Washington Institute visiting military fellow Brig. Gen. Michael Herzog (IDF) addressed the 2006 Herzliya Conference on the options for continuing Arab-Israeli peace processes. These are his remarks.

When Shiite ministers recently "suspended" their participation in the Lebanese cabinet, though without resigning, it highlighted an increasingly apparent reality in post-Syria Lebanon: Two powerful camps coexist today. One, led by Hizballah, in alliance with the Amal movement, sits atop a Shiite community generally, though not unanimously, supporting their positions

After years of quiet diplomatic frustration, the oil-rich Persian Gulf federated state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has publicly reopened a dispute with neighboring Saudi Arabia over two parts of their common border. A map in the 2006 edition of the official UAE Yearbook shows the UAE extending westward

"The king is dead. God save the king!" is not quite how they say it in Saudi Arabia. But the Arabic and Islamic equivalent is going to be heard more often in the next few years. King Fahd was 84 when he died last summer. King Abdullah, who replaced him

Once when I was sitting with Ariel Sharon, he bemoaned Israel's current generation of political figures as "thinking only of today, while our enemies think about tomorrow." Sharon saw a world in which political expediency was a threat to Israel, and he felt that his generation--a generation that had fought

This week Senator Hillary Clinton, citing a secret Pentagon report that suggested some marines killed in Iraq might have survived had they been wearing more body armor, became the latest in a long line of politicians to castigate the Pentagon for a supposed failure to adequately protect our fighting men

The Bush administration this week faced a decision that could help determine whether Ariel Sharon's centrist party survives the end of his political career. Fortunately, Washington appears to have chosen wisely -- by choosing not to act at all. Here's the background: On January 25, the Palestinian Authority is scheduled

Iran's move yesterday to restart work at the controversial Natanz uranium enrichment plant is extremely rash. Even the normally urbane Mohammed El Baradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said "the world was running out of patience" with Iran. Tehran, under the leadership of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, appears

Polling and political dynamics point to Fatah losing control of the Palestinian legislature after January 25 elections.