Policy Analysis

The ruling family of Saudi Arabia, one of the United States' most important allies in the Middle East, is heading for a crisis of leadership. Despite its modern infrastructure, paid for by huge revenues from oil exports, the kingdom's political system remains rooted in tribal structures that have scarcely evolved

Preface Since the founding of The Washington Institute a decade ago, our work has been dedicated to assisting U.S. policymakers in their efforts to promote American interests in the Middle East, especially the pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace. When we began, comprehensive peace was a distant fixture on the horizon. Our

Recent incidents in Germany involving the attempted smuggling of fissile material from the former Soviet Union have heightened concerns that the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East could occur much sooner than previously expected. The emergence of potential new sources for fissile material and weapons -- in the

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia faces a grim economic future. Contrary to predictions in the late 1970s and early 1980s of rising prices for Middle Eastern oil, world oil demands and prices have followed a downward trend since 1981, resulting in a reduction in Saudi oil revenues. Since 1983 Saudi

The capture last week of the port city of Aden by forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen marked the end of the short-lived rebellion by secessionist supporters of Vice President Ali Salem al-Beidh. The outcome is a shock to the balance of power in the Arabian peninsula

For Jordan, July 1994 may be recorded as the month of breaking down historic barriers. Last week, King Hussein announced to a televised session of parliament his willingness to meet publicly with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Next week -- on the very anniversary of the murder of Hussein's grandfather

On July 6, 1994, General Joseph P. Hoar, CENTCOM commander-in-chief, addressed a session of The Washington Institute's Policy Forum. The following is a rapporteur's summary of his remarks. Introduction When General Hoar became chief-of-staff in 1988, Central Command's focus was on the Soviet Union. Operations and contingencies were planned to

With the opening of new negotiations between the United States and North Korea, it is important to underscore one of the major concerns driving the current crisis: fear that a nuclear North Korea would export nuclear arms and technology to rogue states in the Middle East in order to earn

Since the 1955 Bandung conference of non-aligned countries, North Korea has based its foreign policy on the concept of chu'che (self-reliance) and has sought to establish an independent position in the developing world so as to acquire international legitimacy. Its motivations for involvement in the Middle East have gradually shifted

For nearly a year, Sheikh Rashid Ghanoushi has been seeking an American visa. Ghanoushi, the most prominent Islamist in the West, is the leader of Al-Nahda (The Revival), Tunisia's major Islamist grouping. Al-Nahda is now banned in Tunisia, and Ghanoushi resides in Britain. He would like to visit the United

On June 24, 1994, Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Majali, prime minister of Jordan and head of Jordan's delegation to the Madrid peace conference and the bilateral talks, addressed an off-the-record session of The Washington Institute's Policy Forum. The following is a rapporteur's summary of his remarks. Jordan's Peace Policy Comprehensive peace

We have all heard the statement that foreign policy is economic policy, and vice versa. This may seem like a cliche when one talks about the need for a global trade regime in the post-Cold War world, or U.S. bilateral relations with Mexico. But even in a region where politics

Keynote addresses by Anthony Lake and Lawrence Summers. With Ephraim Sneh, Sari Nusseibeh, Dan Meridor, Bashir Bargouti, Harvey Sicherman, William Quandt, and Peter Rodman.

In many ways the Middle East is a paradigm for our nation's approach to the post-Cold War era, and it is both our challenge and responsibility to build a regional environment in the Middle East in which the promise of future peace and hope can be realized. In essence, the

Tourism offers an opportunity to promote the economic development of the Levant, demonstrate the material rewards of peace, and forge cooperation between Israel and its neighbors. To be economically sound, however, regional cooperation must generate additional tourism, rather than redistributing existing visitors. Foreign governments and international aid agencies can encourage

Hafez al-Assad's rise to power in 1970 ended Syria's chronic instability and placed it at the forefront of the pan-Arab struggle against Israel. For many years, Syria was the most militant of the front-line Arab states and rejected any notion of peaceful co-existence with Israel. Yet, despite its radical posture

On April 14, 1994, Dr. Eliyahu Kanovsky, a professor of economics at Bar Illan University and a leading authority on Middle East economics, addressed a session of The Washington Institute's Policy Forum. Dr. Kanovsky discussed Saudi Arabia's severe economic crisis, and its implications for domestic politics and stability. The following

Last week's "friendly fire" incident over northern Iraq occurred in an environ-ment of steadily increasing tensions, created by Saddam Hussein, that may have contributed to the accident. How far Saddam intends to take this round is unclear. Recent incidents testify to his extreme frustration at his inability to get sanctions

Western policy towards the Islamic Republic of Iran has long been based on the assumption that Iran could be persuaded to change major aspects of its foreign policy, such as its support for death threats against Salman Rushdie, its murder of Iranian oppositionists in the West, its cooperation with terrorists

In 1989, following a costly eight-year war with Iraq, Iran initiated a major military buildup intended to transform it into a regional power and rebuild its ravaged armed forces. Iran's buildup, coupled with indications of increased activism in its foreign policy -- including efforts to undermine the Arab-Israeli peace process