Policy Analysis

While the violence in the West Bank and Gaza captures most of the attention, arguably more important developments in the last year have occurred in the Syria-Lebanon-Israel triangle. The Collapse of the Syrian-Israeli Peace Process The collapse of the Geneva summit in March 2000 formalized the demise of the negotiations

The Bush administration this week launched initiatives on two fronts of U.S. concern about the Middle East: Secretary of State Colin Powell's proposals to end Arab–Israeli violence and Vice President Dick Cheney's national energy policy. While the energy policy report concentrates on domestic issues, it necessarily discusses the Middle East

We are witnessing a progressive deterioration in the Middle East. New thresholds of violence are regularly crossed. President Bush speaks of our efforts to try to bring the situation under control, but the security meetings we organize, the limited understandings we promote and the statements we make are quickly overwhelmed

American policymakers face a number of decision points concerning U.S. policy toward Iraq and Iran in the coming weeks. The UN Security Council has to act by June 4 to renew the oil-for-food program, providing the United States with an opportunity to secure approval for the "re-energized" sanctions regime that

At the dawn of the new millennium, Turkey remains a significant actor in its region despite economic difficulties. Turkey, a strategic partner with the United States, is a source of steadiness that is vital for peace in its region. Turkey's long relations with Israel play a stabilizing role in the

In April 2001, Brenda Shaffer, research director of Harvard University's Caspian Studies Program and a 2000 visiting fellow at The Washington Institute, addressed the Institute's Special Policy Forum to mark the publication of her Policy Paper, Partners in Need: The Stategic Relationship of Russia and Iran. The following is a

This morning, the text of the long-awaited Mitchell Commission Report, an account of the past seven months of Israeli-Palestinian violence written by a five-member committee headed by former Senate majority leader George Mitchell, was made publicly available. Conceived as a "committee of fact finding" at the October 17, 2000 Sharm

On May 1, 2001, Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres addressed The Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum. The following are excerpts from his remarks. Read a full transcript. Overview of the Current Situation "We are passing through a very demanding corridor of politics and exchanges, of an emotional crisis of blame

Today's decision by Iranian president Mohammad Khatami to run for re-election was more important than the actual election on June 8, which he is sure to win. But neither matters nearly as much as the crucial question for Iran's future namely, will hardliners let the formal government rule or will

On April 21, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Abd al-Aziz bin Abdallah Aal al-Shaykh, said that Islam forbids suicide terrorist attacks. This has raised a storm of criticism from supporters of the Palestinian intifada against Israel. However, the mufti may have been thinking more about Osama bin Laden

On April 30, the Department of State issued its comprehensive annual report Patterns of Global Terrorism, describing incidents and trends in international terrorism in the year 2000. This year's report covers the first three months of accelerated Palestinian-Israeli violence. It is also marks the first time the Bush administration State

Not long after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a chorus of influential opinion-makers in Washington began to sound an alarm about a new ideological threat posed to the West: the spread of "Islamism," a virulent brand of political Islam whose adherents demonized the culture, governments and even the citizens

Russia and Iran are neighboring states. As such, the status of their bilateral relationship is a perpetually important facet of their respective foreign policies. In the post-Soviet period, Tehran and Moscow began to view and term their cooperation as "strategic"—each side viewing the other as integral to its own national

Reviews the eighteen recommendations made by Turkey's National Security Council on February 28, 1997, designed to stem the perceived growth of Islamism in the country. Also analyzes the numerous actions taken to implement these recommendations in subsequent years. Includes an English translation of the full text of the recommendations (NSC

On May 1, 2001, Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres addressed The Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum. Following is the full text of the discussion. Read a summary of his remarks. Note: The questions from the Q&A portion of the discussion have been summarized. The Institute's interpretations of partially audible portions

On April 27, 2001, Israeli minister of education Limor Livnat delivered a keynote address at The Washington Institute's Sixteenth Annual Soref Symposium. The following are excerpts from her speech. Read a full transcript. The End of Oslo " . . . The political road that brought us to the crossroads

Robert Satloff, The Washington Institute: Let me open, Senator, by turning to you. It is, as they say, approaching the 100-day mark. How would you evaluate the direction that the Bush administration has taken so far vis-Ã -vis the Middle East? Sam Brownback: I really don't think that the Bush

I want to thank the Washington Institute for inviting me to address this distinguished forum today. This invitation was accompanied by a request that my speech concentrate on the future. I have no problem with that request, of course. I like to think of myself as a forward-thinking person who

I want to thank Bob Asher for the kind introduction. I also want to thank Rob Satloff and The Washington Institute for extending the invitation to me to address this distinguished forum. I'm delighted to be here. Rob's invitation was accompanied with the request that my speech concentrate on the

I hope that I will be able to contribute a little bit to the ongoing learning process that has been taking place at this symposium. This will be a difficult task, though, because there is a great deal of misinformation here regarding what has been happening in our region and