Iraq’s New Normal
Amidst all the 10-year anniversary analysis of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein, the missing piece is a clear and coherent picture of Iraq today and its potential for tomorrow. Regrettably, such a picture is elusive because Iraq is a complex mix of a society and state rebuilding, but without sufficient […]
Jordan’s Forgotten Youth Problem
By Que’Nique Mykte’ Newbill – King Abdullah’s post-election euphoria disguises the enduring challenge of youth political participation in Jordan. The country’s western allies have adopted a similar relaxed posture towards the palace-led reforms. Yet the state’s continued claims of “reform success” neglect the sentiment of the country’s unsettled youth. Representing more than half the population […]
Syria Beyond Assad: Building a New Syria from the Grassroots
The Stimson Center and the Middle East Institute were pleased to co-host a panel discussion on grassroots efforts to begin laying the groundwork for a new Syria. As the second anniversary of Syria’s uprising approaches, its deepening turmoil and expanding humanitarian crisis underscore the tragic dimensions of the Arab world’s bloodiest uprising. The Assad regime […]
Syria Beyond Assad: Building A New Syria From The Grassroots
While fighting in Syria has claimed more than 70,000 lives and turned more than 1 million Syrians into refugees, four panelists detailed ongoing grassroots efforts to begin laying the foundations for post-Assad Syria. Mona opened with framing the crisis in Syria and the potential for establishing provincial governance in areas under armed opposition control. Highlighting […]
Ellen Laipson and Chester Crocker’s op-ed on the Sahel featured in International Herald Tribune
Ellen Laipson and Chester Crocker’s op-ed on turmoil in the Sahel was featured in the International Herald Tribune. Click here to read the complete op-ed.
Presidential Inbox 2013: Take a Strategic Approach to Iran
Click here to view the complete Presidential Inbox series. The Challenge It is time to develop a broader, more inclusive approach to US policy towards Iran. The past years’ focus on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability has led to a hardening of policy views and a narrowing of policy options. Iran’s nuclear activities are […]
Presidential Inbox 2013: Reinvigorate American Soft Power to Shape Change in the Arab World
Click here to view the complete Presidential Inbox series. The Challenge As turbulent change roils the Arab world, the Obama Administration must develop a coherent, long-term strategy to address the Arab transitions. At the outset of the Arab uprisings, the Administration undertook useful changes, creating a Special Coordinator for Middle East Transitions and restructuring key bureaus in […]
Geneive Abdo Quoted In Bloomberg On The Iran Deal
Eighteen months after picking up the phone to Barack Obama with an historic message of reconciliation, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has secured the outline nuclear agreement he expects to end his country’s isolation. -snip- “The real prize is sanctions being lifted, not a nuclear agreement,” said Geneive Abdo, a research fellow at the Washington-based […]