Policy Analysis

Editor's note: The following is a personal essay. The author is currently a Member of Iraq’s Parliament. Previously, due to his public stances against extremism, sectarianism, and continued conflict with Israel, his two sons were assassinated, his party’s offices closed, and he was forced to take temporary refuge in Erbil

Only a new U.S. policy that accepts some settlements while rejecting others would practically maintain the viability of two states in the future.

The circumstances of the Russian-sponsored peace conference raise several concerns, but failure to participate could signal acquiescence to Moscow's plans in Syria and further U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East.

Given the unprecedented turmoil and uncertainty afflicting the Middle East, the new administration will need to devote particular care and urgency to understanding the essence of America's interests in the region, and applying clear principles in pursuing them. This is the advice offered by two U.S. diplomats with a distinguished

Iran's destabilizing presence throughout the region has grown in the year since the nuclear deal, so the new administration should take firm steps to curb it.

The incoming Trump team has a quick shot at averting worse disasters in Syria, with its new Russian gambit.

António Guterres assumes his position in a world that seems not to trust in the organization or the values that it fosters. Yet his personal record and ideological outlook may rescue his mission from failure

If the Trump administration steers away from the internationally backed unity government and toward the Russian/Egyptian-backed strongman, Khalifa Haftar, it risks ending Libya's fragile accord and sparking another civil war.

The new administration can succeed in the region if it understands the nature of the threats posed by Iran and radical Islamists, is prepared to work with America’s traditional partners, and appreciates how to take advantage of the latest local developments.

General Masjedi reportedly has a long track record of overseeing deadly anticoalition operations and making threatening statements against Israel and other U.S. allies, so his appointment to the embassy in Baghdad is highly troubling.

If President Trump decides to honor his commitment to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he should move quickly to consult with Israel, assess and prepare responses for potential security challenges, and engage key regional and international partners in the context of a broader adjustment

The president's latest decision could encourage Sudan's ongoing shift toward more favorable policies in the Middle East, and without surrendering the incoming administration's leverage.

The New York Times this fall published an article entitled “‘I Live in a Lie’: Saudi Women Speak Up.” The piece portrays life as a Saudi woman living under a system that forbids women from basic pursuits such as traveling, attending college, and accessing health care without the permission of

The meeting's main outcomes will probably disappoint ardent supporters and detractors alike, but the parties should not dismiss the potential progress offered by its more modest, concrete recommendations.

January 12, 2017 At the end of November, Egyptian parliament approved a new law on non-governmental organizations (NGOs), spreading worry in the minds of those interested in Egyptian affairs in general. This law is the latest step toward finishing off rights organizations in Egypt. In addition to targeting NGO workers

The argument that Russia's cyber-attacks are irrelevant because they didn't influence the election outcome, even if true, misses the point.

The Trump administration should take a new approach to the conflict, refining U.S. policy toward Israeli settlements and more actively promoting peaceful coexistence until meaningful negotiations become feasible again.

While Iran's air defenses are a central element of its deterrent capabilities, newly arrived long-range mobile systems like the S-300 could also enable it to constrain the air forces of its neighbors over their own sovereign territory, thereby enhancing Tehran's ability to intimidate and coerce these neighbors.

The Trump administration should revamp policy toward Turkey to emphasize a transactional approach to critical bilateral issues, counsels two leading experts on U.S.-Turkish relations. In the first in a series of Washington Institute presidential transition papers addressing key policy challenges across the Middle East, former U.S. ambassador to Ankara James

The United States needs to balance tough love with public validation of justifiable security concerns as Manama seeks to reverse the dangerous growth of Iranian-supported militant cells on the island.