MEC - Regional Relations

The Transformation of Arab Activism: New Contexts, Domestic Institutions, and Regional Rivalries

Lina Khatib, Ellen Lust — Thu, 15 May 2014 12:26:14 +0000

The three years since 2011 have witnessed enormous changes in activism across the Arab world, but the full story of the Arab Spring has yet to be written.

Open Talk: Syria in a Regional Context

Lina Khatib — Tue, 13 May 2014 09:19:34 +0000

The Syrian crisis—a regional and international conflict—is reaching a failed state scenario where diplomacy or military intervention is no longer possible.

Kuwaiti Salafism and Its Growing Influence in the Levant

Zoltan Pall — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:05:24 +0000

A schism in the ranks of Kuwaiti Salafists has had far-reaching—and sometimes violent—consequences in Syria and Lebanon.

What the United States Wants in Egypt

Thomas Carothers — Thu, 01 May 2014 18:53:00 +0000

Many Egyptians feel a sense that the United States profoundly misunderstands Egyptian realities and wants to marginalize Egypt.

A Melancholy Perspective on Syria

Yezid Sayigh — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 11:36:07 +0000

The time when Assad might have been defeated by a truly inept opposition leadership and fragmented rebel movement has passed.

Congress Should Repeal Law Obstructing U.S. Assistance to Libya

Frederic Wehrey — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 16:04:01 +0000

Washington’s ability to deliver effective and flexible support to Libya’s fragile post-revolution government is vital to the country’s future.

What’s Behind the Widening Division Between U.S. and Saudi Arabia?

Frederic Wehrey — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 17:56:15 +0000

The discord between Saudi Arabia and the United States stems from a series of disagreements about the way the Middle East is unfolding, including in Iran, Syria, and Egypt.

What Are the Global Implications of the Ukraine Crisis?

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 15:55:48 +0000

Russia’s annexation of Crimea and possible future incursions into eastern Ukraine could reshape the geopolitical map of Europe and derail cooperation between Moscow and the West for years to come.

Beyond the Butterfly Effect: What Ukraine Means for Iran

Cornelius Adebahr — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 20:55:09 +0000

The idea that the assurances given twenty years past by three permament members of the UN Security Council are worth naught today is extremely dangerous.

Democracy Support in Turkey’s Foreign Policy

Senem Aydın-Düzgit, E. Fuat Keyman — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 18:38:23 +0000

Ankara’s attempts to make democracy promotion a focus of its foreign policy have had only limited success, in part because Turkey is losing credibility as a democratic model.

Crafting a Well-Rounded Nuclear Deal With Iran

George Perkovich — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:47:16 +0000

The Obama administration and Congress should divert a fraction of the time and energy now spent debating whether to add sanctions on Iran to the more difficult challenge of figuring out how to cooperate in removing them if a final agreement is reached.

Ukraine’s Effect on a Deal for Syria: Iran Could Become More of a Player

Martha Brill Olcott — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:26:13 +0000

Putin’s annexation of Crimea may be a victory at home, but it will harm Russia’s interests in the Middle East. If Iran could get sanctions removed, it might benefit from selling gas and oil to Europe.

Iran’s Centrifuges and Bushehr

Mark Hibbs — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 18:43:21 +0000

Russia and Iran are conferring about the supply of new nuclear power plants at the Bushehr site on the Persian Gulf. Iran operates one Russian reactor there and building more could contribute to a comprehensive agreement between the six powers and Iran.

Syrians in Their Neighborhood: Regional Crisis, Regional Solutions

Lina Khatib — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:07:41 +0000

There is lack of will to be decisive about the conflict in Syria and a staggering lack of understanding, especially on the part of Western donors, of what is actually happening on the ground.

A New U.S. Approach to Gulf Security

Frederic Wehrey — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 19:58:31 +0000

The United States must focus more on promoting political and security sector reforms in the Gulf that are critical to long-term regional stability by better integrating its use of military and diplomatic tools.

Syria’s Spring Offensives and the Death of Diplomacy

Yezid Sayigh — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:58:36 +0000

The failure of the Geneva-II peace talks may have been inevitable but it has also raised the stakes even further for the Assad regime and the opposition, each of which still seeks to gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield.

A Comprehensive Strategy for Syria: Next Steps for the West

Lina Khatib — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 09:52:45 +0000

The Syrian crisis is entering its fourth year without a clear resolution in sight. The West should look beyond the Geneva II conference and implement a comprehensive strategy to push the conflict toward a settlement.

What if the EU Had Reacted Strategically to the Arab Spring?

Jan Techau — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 10:28:55 +0000

The EU’s response to the Arab Spring is seen as one of the bloc’s great missed opportunities. Yet a more serious approach would have had the strongest impact in Europe itself.

Iran Negotiations

George Perkovich — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 19:07:42 +0000

When Tehran agreed in November to the interim deal and the U.S. Senate moved to increase sanctions, it reinforced the idea in Iran that no matter they do, good or bad behavior, the same answer comes out of the United States.

Deconstructing Sherman on the Possible Military Dimensions of Iran’s Nuclear Program

Mark Hibbs — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 17:13:30 +0000

For Iran to admit that it worked on nuclear weapons would be more significant than Iran’s 2003 statement that it failed to declare to the IAEA a flurry of nuclear activities which could be justified by Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.

Negotiating With Iran: A Matter of Trust

James M. Acton — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 14:57:01 +0000

Reaching a final agreement with Iran over its nuclear program is going to require some very hard compromises from hardliners both in Tehran and in Washington.

Why Western Business Eyeing Iran is a Good Thing

Cornelius Adebahr — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 19:09:26 +0000

Rather than undermining nuclear negotiations, moves by Western businesses preparing to capitalize on a possible deal have the potential to spur pressure for change within Iran.

The Egypt Effect: Sharpened Tensions, Reshuffled Alliances

Thu, 13 Feb 2014 19:07:01 +0000

Throughout the Middle East, the overthrow of Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi has heightened Islamist-secularist tensions and pushed actors toward zero-sum politics.

Removing Congressional Illusions About An Iran Nuclear Deal

George Perkovich — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:17:06 +0000

Recent testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee highlighted an interesting—and unrealistic—approach to negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.

Uncertain Future: Are U.S.-Gulf Relations in Crisis?

Frederic Wehrey, Yezid Sayigh — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 05:00:00 +0000

Recent and dramatic developments in the Middle East have presented new challenges to the foreign policies of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab states.