Ellen Laipson’s Op-ed in World Politics Review on Trump’s Visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia
U.S. President Donald Trump’s first overseas trip will begin in Saudi Arabia and Israel, two countries whose leaders have vocally welcomed Trump’s shift in approach to the region compared to his predecessor, Barack Obama. But the new president’s unpredictable nature means that neither country can take anything for granted during his visit. Read the full […]
Proposed White House Budget Cuts Undermine Syria Strike Objectives
While the potential government shutdown is drawing headlines this week, President Trump’s proposed 2018 budget should be raising even more eyebrows. Simply put: Trump’s proposed radical cuts to foreign aid would worsen the Syrian crisis and undermine the foreign policy goals that the administration has tried to advance through its recent military strikes. Read the […]
Ellen Laipson’s Op-Ed in World Politics Review on U.S.-Iran Relations
The sudden return to tough talk about Iran by the Trump administration makes one wonder if it has a deeper strategy to realize Trump’s campaign promises about the nuclear deal, as well as to address Iran’s destabilizing regional activities. The signals about Iran can be read several ways: pressure to deliver on that national security […]
Envisioning the Future: Iranian and Saudi Perspectives on the Post-Oil Economy
Falling oil and gas prices and shrinking demand across global energy markets pose enormous challenges for energy exporting countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia and lead to decreasing revenues from this sector.
Ellen Laipson’s Op-Ed in World Politics Review on the U.S. Syrian Attack
The U.S. missile attack on the Syrian airbase from which the devastating chemical weapons attack on Khan Sheikhoun had been launched was a clear win for the Trump administration on several fronts. It doesn’t, however, guarantee a successful new Syria strategy, for reasons related to the nature of the conflict there and the leadership dynamics […]
The Difficult Road Ahead: Stabilizing Iraq and the Gulf Region
Watch the event video below or click here. While U.S. and Iraqi forces are making clear progress in the fight against ISIS, the security situation in Iraq and the Gulf region remains tenuous. ISIS was able to grow and develop largely due to the difficulties the government faced in controlling its vast territory and establishing […]
Jesse Marks’ Op-Ed in The National Interest on Trump in Syria
In 2013, Obama’s red line in Syria following the regime’s use of chemical weapons failed to produce any real intervention. Tuesday’s chemical weapon attack in Idlib, shadowing the Brussels conference where seventy countries gathered on the same day to determine Syria’s future, could be the Trump administration’s golden entry into the Syrian peace process. But, […]
Ellen Laipson’s Op-Ed in World Politics Review on Trump and Middle East Conflicts
Donald Trump is being drawn into the hot conflicts of the Middle East in ways that will define his presidency. Like the idealistic Barack Obama before he became president in 2009, Trump campaigned on promises that he would not allow the United States to get stuck in the region. Unlike Obama, Trump is confident that […]