Policy Analysis

Four basic assumptions have passed away. The first is the assumption that peace will bring security. Many believed that, once peace was achieved, the motivation behind attacks against Israel would vanish. If we could just reach a peace agreement, some argued, there would be no more terror. Peace, we believed

My initial intention was to give a lengthy presentation of the Israeli disengagement plan. The pace of changing circumstances, however, means that no one can guarantee the chances of the plan's being implemented in the near future. I can only say that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is truly committed to

Jonathan Davidson: The European approach to the Middle East peace process is conditioned by a multitude of factors. I will highlight three of them. First, Europe has a deep and longstanding historical relationship with the Middle East. Second, we are neighbors, particularly since the European Union (EU) expanded to twenty-five

Terrorist Financing in the United States While individual terrorist attacks can be carried out at a relatively low cost, the need to recruit operatives and provide them with safe houses, training, and support requires significant funding. The United States has proven to be a good venue for fundraising by terrorist

Keynote addresses by Stephen Hadley and Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland. With David Frum, Jessica Tuchman Matthews, Brig. Gen. Eival Gilady, Nabil Amr, Jonathan Davidson, Dennis Ross, and David Satterfield.

You have heard President Bush talk about a forward strategy for freedom in the Middle East. The president's vision of the future for the Middle East is predicated on one clear principle: that the advance of freedom and democracy leads to peace and progress for all. As the president has

Robert Satloff, The Washington Institute: Dr. Mathews, how would you define "success" in Iraq? Is it achievable, and, if so, what is required to ensure it? What would be the consequences of failure to achieve your definition of success? Jessica Tuchman Mathews: Let me first say that I speak only

April 25, 2004, was a great day for American foreign policy in the Middle East. A sea of protesters converged upon the nation's capital to support women's rights in one of the largest demonstrations for social justice and equality in the history of the United States. As Washington struggles to

The State Department released the 2003 edition of Patterns of Global Terrorism last week in accordance with its congressional mandate to provide an accounting of international trends. With several spectacular terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq, and a series of counterterrorism victories, 2003 witnessed profound changes in the arena of

The current fighting in Iraq was almost inevitable. The new political process we are putting in place is based on elections, and those who know that they are going to lose them have every reason to disrupt that process. The Sunni radicals and the Shiite rebel leader Moqtada al-Sadr realize

Operation "Iraqi Freedom" encompassed the full range of modern military missions, beginning with a transition from the "not peace, not war" prosecution of no-fly zones to high-intensity warfare, followed by a security and stabilisation phase that has involved counterinsurgency and counterterrorist operations. Both during and since the war, the Coalition

Despite the recent chaos in Iraq and the uncertain future of the country, it is clear that the post-Saddam Hussein Middle East is a very different place. There might not be peace yet between Israelis and Palestinians, but Libya's decision to give up weapons of mass destruction is an indication

On Sunday, May 2, Likud members will hold an unprecedented party referendum on Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan. Polls among the 193,000 party members suggest rank and file party members may oppose Sharon's plan by a seven to ten point margin. Should Sharon's plan be defeated, this

On April 24, Greek and Turkish citizens of Cyprus voted on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan to resolve the long-standing dispute on the island. The elusive Cyprus issue once again evaded solution: although 65 percent of the Turkish Cypriots voted to accept the Annan plan, 76 percent of Greek

In congressional hearings on Iraq last week, legislators repeatedly asked testifying administration officials whether the United States would negotiate a formal security agreement with the post-June 30 Iraqi interim government. The officials explained that following the planned transfer of sovereignty to Iraq, U.S. and coalition forces would operate in accordance

The consistent detachment of "old guard" Palestinian leaders during the past three years of violence has dramatically influenced the nature of the current Palestinian political map. Parallel to the weakening of the old guard, new generations of leaders are emerging that have already become integral to the processes shaping Palestinian

The intensification of Sunni-based resistance operations and the onset of Muqtada al-Sadr's Shi'i rebellion in early April confronted the coalition with a number of serious military and political challenges, few of which have been resolved. Coalition forces are facing new and increased operational demands, and among these demands is a

On April 16, 2004, Michael Eisenstadt, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, addressed the Institute's Special Policy Forum, along with Jeffrey White and Michael Knights. The following is a summary of Mr. Eisenstadt's remarks. Read a summary of Jeffrey White and Michael Knights's remarks. Recent U.S. confrontations with insurgents

On April 16, 2004, Jeffrey White and Michael Knights addressed The Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum, along with Michael Eisenstadt. Mr. White, an associate of the Institute, previously headed the Defense Intelligence Agency's Regional Military Assessments Group and Office for Middle East-Africa Regional Military Assessments. Dr. Knights, the Institute's Mendelow

On April 5, Iraqi gunmen attacking U.S. forces in Baghdad's predominantly Sunni al-Azamiya neighborhood were joined by members of radical Shi'i cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia, Jaysh al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army). Soon thereafter, posters of al-Sadr, along with graffiti praising the cleric's "valiant uprising" appeared in the Sunni-dominated city of Ramadi. On