The Escalating Shi’a-Sunni Conflict
In Stimson’s continuing series on the Escalating Shi’a-Sunni confilct, held by our Middle East program, discussions have included the role of state actors, contrasting the influence of religion and politics, and assessing the control of ISIS. Below are exerpts from the first three parts of this four part series. Scholars discussing these issues include Bureau […]
Ellen Laipson in German Marshall Fund on Mediterranean affairs
From December 3-5, GMF held its 10th Mediterranean Strategy Group (MSG) meeting in Naples, Italy. The theme of this meeting was the evolving role of the U.S. in the Mediterranean, addressing topics such as trade and investment, regional security, and the outlook for transatlantic partnership in the Mediterranean. MSG is the core convening activity of […]
Iraq’s New Realities
This article was first published in Middle East Online on October 25, 2009. Iraq is no longer on the front pages, as the war in Afghanistan becomes the preoccupying concern of governments in Ottawa and Washington. But it is still a story filled with drama and violence, of a society in a difficult transition from […]
Ambassador Ryan Crocker, engaging the Middle East
Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, joined Stimson Chairman Ambassador Lincoln P. Bloomfield Jr. to discuss U.S. policy in the Middle East, the importance of engagement in the region, as well as specific successes in Afghanistan. View the clip below and the full event here […]
Geneive Abdo’s op-ed in The National Interest on Bahrain’s sectarian turmoil
Shortly after the parliamentary elections in Bahrain last month, security forces raided the home of the country’s premier Shi’a religious scholar and spiritual guide for the opposition, Issa Qassem, in an act considered sacrosanct in the Islamic tradition. The government claimed that it had raided Qassem’s home in search of a terrorist, who was not […]
The Escalating Shi’a-Sunni Conflict: Assessing The Role Of ISIS
Today, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) controls and effectively governs large parts of territory based on a sectarian agenda. By implementing an ideology of religious intolerance, ISIS plays a significant role in deepening the already existing sectarian divide in a region deeply embroiled in conflict. Its appeal namely lies in its ability […]
Too Dangerous to Fail
An agreement would have been preferable, of course. But it’s not all bad news out of Vienna right now. The decision to extend until July the deadline for negotiations with Iran over the country’s nuclear program is, essentially, a step in the right direction. And making these talks a success has crucial implications far beyond […]
Barry Blechman op-ed in Foreign Policy on a nuclear deal with Iran
An agreement would have been preferable, of course. But it’s not all bad news out of Vienna right now. The decision to extend until July the deadline for negotiations with Iran over the country’s nuclear program is, essentially, a step in the right direction. And making these talks a success has crucial implications far beyond […]