Policy Analysis

On August 31, 2010, the United States declared an end to combat operations in Iraq. In recent months, however, there has been a stubborn perception that security in Iraq is suffering a downturn. Yet the raw numbers of monthly security incidents reveal a significant decline in year-on-year comparisons. The key

With Israel's ten-month moratorium on West Bank settlement construction now expired, Arab League foreign ministers are expected to convene on October 4 to discuss whether the Palestinian Authority (PA) should continue the peace talks. These developments have created a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity in a bid to keep the process

On September 27, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conferred with her Syrian counterpart Walid Mouallem on the sidelines of a UN meeting in New York. And two weeks earlier, U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell met with President Bashar al-Asad in Damascus. This latest flurry of diplomatic activity seems aimed at

Not a day goes by without another pundit lauding Turkey's democratization by the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP. The argument is that Turkey has finally become a true democracy under the AKP, as the party has boldly forced the military into its barracks and empowered the masses over

Sunday's expiration of Israel's settlement construction moratorium is looming ever larger, and was put back on the front pages by President Barack Obama's unequivocal statement on Thursday, in his U.N. General Assembly speech dominated by the Israeli-Palestinian issue, in which he stated he "believe(s) the moratorium should be extended." In

On September 12, Turkey went to the polls to vote on constitutional amendments proposed by the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP). Nearly 38.3 million people turned out, with 21.8 million voting in favor of a variety of changes to the Turkish political system, from establishing constitutional guarantees of gender

On September 20, 2010, David Palkki, Kevin Woods, and Amatzia Baram addressed a special Policy Forum luncheon at The Washington Institute. Dr. Palkki is deputy director of National Defense University's Conflict Records Research Center, an archive of captured documents and audio files related to the Saddam regime in Iraq, among

On the heels of renewed direct political negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported strong Palestinian economic growth at today's meeting of PA donors in New York. While these economic tidings will be welcomed by both Israelis and Palestinians and

On September 17, 2010, Jeffrey White and Andrew Exum addressed a special Policy Forum luncheon at The Washington Institute to mark the release of Mr. White's new Institute report If War Comes: Israel vs. Hizballah and Its Allies, an assessment of potential future conflict between Israel and Hizballah and its

Fears in security circles that Iraq is to become mired in a new security crisis -- dubbed by Gulf States Newsletter "the next insurgency" -- have been highlighted by a general increase in violence across Iraq in August/September. This was brought into stark focus by the 25 August mass casualty

It is no secret that Arab public opinion toward U.S. President Barack Obama has soured since his June 2009 speech in Cairo, Egypt. According to a slew of recent opinion polls, Arabs have been deeply disappointed with Obama's accommodations to Israel. Analysts have suggested that this discontent has caused Arabs

Had I voted in Sunday's referendum in Turkey, I would have struggled to decide whether to vote for or against the constitutional amendments put forth by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). On the one hand, the reform package includes progressive amendments, such as constitutionally guaranteed gender equality. On

Shows the potential range of known Hizballah rocket and missile systems in the event of a full-scale war with Israel. See Policy Focus #106 for a full description. Copyright 2010 The Washington Institute

Shows potential Israeli offensive operations in southern Lebanon in the event of a full-scale war with Hizballah and its allies. See Policy Focus #106 for a full description. Copyright 2010 The Washington Institute

Shows potential Israeli air operations over Lebanon in the event of a full-scale war with Hizballah and its allies. See Policy Focus #106 for a full description. Copyright 2010 The Washington Institute

Unsurprisingly, the Hamas leadership -- both in Gaza and Damascus, and less so in the West Bank -- has greeted the resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks with a flood of contrarian rhetoric. Characterizing the process as a "sellout" of the Palestinian "cause," the movement argues that President Mahmoud Abbas lacks

Shows Hizballah's potential defensive posture in southern Lebanon in the event of a full-scale war with Israel. See Policy Focus #106 for a full description. Copyright 2010 The Washington Institute

Shows potential Hizballah offensive operations in northern Israel in the event of a full-scale war. See Policy Focus #106 for a full description. Copyright 2010 The Washington Institute

Sam Huntington was right to consider Turkey his chief example of a "torn country." The results of the Sept. 12 vote on the constitutional amendments proposed by the ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party, or AKP, show that officially secular Turkey is torn not just between the East and the

After 19 months, President Barack Obama has finally convened Arab-Israeli peace talks and set a one-year timeline for securing a final peace deal. If he is serious about this goal, he will need to establish a regional environment conducive to peace -- a step that requires rebuilding American strength in