Policy Analysis

On Tuesday, Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for two Palestinian bomb attacks that killed an equal number of Israelis. The bloodshed is the first major test for the 1 1/2-month-old Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire and, more broadly, the stalled "road map for peace." Both the Palestinian Authority and the

A surprising summit meeting yesterday in Ankara involving members of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, the Turkish General Staff, the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and the Turkish National Intelligence Organization produced an agreement "in principle" to send Turkish "peacekeeping soldiers" to Iraq. From one perspective, if Turkish troops were

Rarely do pollsters make waves like the Ramallah-based political scientist, Khalil Shikaki, who announced last month that the greatest obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace -- the so-called Palestinian "right of return" to Israel -- has been lifted. Shikaki claimed that based on his polling data, "It is now clear that an

On August 8, 2003, the seventh European Union (EU) reform package went into effect in Turkey, significantly curbing the role of the military in politics. This legislation, passed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government on August 4, follows six previous packages adopted since February 2002. Collectively, these reform

If Iraq is to rebuild its infrastructure and restore its economy at the pace forecast by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), it will need to bridge a major near-term financing gap by increasing capital inflows from outside the country and simultaneously improving its ability to absorb aid and investment. Oil

Since President George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat operations" in Iraq on May 1, coalition forces have repositioned themselves to deal with the emerging resistance in Iraq. Although many attacks on the coalition have taken place in Baghdad, 90 percent are occurring in the so-called "Sunni triangle,"

After months of restraint following the double shock of U.S. military victories in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hizballah resumed action against Israel today, firing mortal shells and missiles at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) along the Israel-Lebanon border. Changes in the regional geopolitical environment and recent statements by the organization's leadership

Abu Mazen has been essentially boycotted by Palestine Television and Voice of Palestine, stations run by allies and aides of Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Yasir Arafat. His nonappearance in the Palestinian electronic media cannot be chalked up to Abu Mazen’s diffidence or lack of public support. Indeed, for much of

A surprising summit meeting yesterday in Ankara involving members of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, the Turkish General Staff, the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and the Turkish National Intelligence Organization produced an agreement "in principle" to send Turkish "peacekeeping soldiers" to Iraq. From one perspective, if Turkish troops were

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited Washington last week to garner support for a Middle East cease-fire that includes dismantling Palestinian terrorist groups in the West Bank and Gaza. With the focus on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), however, one terror organization has been largely ignored: the Al-Aqsa Martyrs

While the ceasefire is generally holding between Palestinians and Israelis, the first phase of the roadmap is barely unfolding. Palestinians are making an effort to stem incitement and at least stop terror attacks in Gaza and parts of the West Bank. The Israelis have lifted a few checkpoints, withdrawn from

Jordan has long served as a pivot between moderate pro-Western and radical anti-American states in the Middle East. In the wake of "regime change" in Iraq, the economic, social, and political effects on Jordan will be pervasive. David Schenker, an expert in Middle Eastern politics, explores the complex nature of

On July 25, 2003, Turkish deputy prime minister and foreign minister Abdullah Gul addressed The Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum. Dr. Gul served as Turkey's prime minister between November 2002 and March 2003, and as minister of state and government spokesman in the Welfare Party government of 1997. The following

After his Tuesday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, President Bush gave an important press conference from the Rose Garden. Bush's statement was a continuation of his fateful June 24, 2002 speech -- the last time that they stood side-by-side in the Rose Garden. Back then, Bush called on

Yesterday's meeting in the White House between U.S. president George W. Bush and Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal reflects both Saudi official anger at the reports of the kingdom's apparent complicity in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and its continuing ability to gain short-notice access to the

During the Soviet occupation, Afghanistan enjoyed a large measure of support from its neighbors and from allies in the Islamic and Western worlds. With the fall of the Soviet empire, however, global attention shifted elsewhere. In the interim, a vacuum emerged that allowed the Taliban and al-Qaeda to seize power

President Bush should deliver one unambiguous message to Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) when they meet this Friday in Washington: The Palestinian Authority is going to war -- the only question is with whom. As Israel begins withdrawing from parts of Gaza and the West Bank, the Palestinian

For the first time since the start of the Palestinian uprising nearly three years ago, hope for real peace between Israelis and Palestinians is beginning to take shape. Strangely, the Bush administration is sending signals that it is against it. I am not referring to the "road map" for Middle

Executives at some leading U.S. financial, corporate, and journalistic institutions, such as JP Morgan Chase, Wachovia, American Express Centurion Bank, Associated Press Television News (APTN), Telestar5, and Interland, should be aware that their organizations are unwitting accomplices in the terrorist activities of Hizballah, recently labeled "the A team" of terrorism

As the Israeli-Palestinian "peace process" plods along, both proponents and critics of the "road map" are eagerly seizing on evidence to serve their own ends. This month the eminent Palestinian pollster, Khalil Shikaki, made waves by releasing new data on the Palestinian "right of return," the perennial Palestinian demand to