Ellen Laipson’s Op-ed in World Politics Review on Iran and Sanctions
It was a rare week of good news in the Middle East. Iran met its obligations to formally launch all the provisions of the nuclear agreement agreed to with world powers last July, an early demonstration of its commitment to radically restructure its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Tehran also surprised many observers […]
Ellen Laipson’s Op-ed in World Politics Review on Saudi-Iran Conflict
As the Saudi-Iran crisis lumbers along, featuring new mutual recriminations and a Saudi campaign to line up Muslim support over the past week, two regional states have offered to mediate. Turkey and Iraq are well-positioned, in different but complementary ways, to engage both parties and try to defuse the situation. But their current leaders, no […]
Ellen Laipson’s Op-ed in World Politics Review on Saudi Arabia’s Unforced Error
The shocking news that Saudi Arabia executed 47 people over the weekend, including Shiite cleric and opposition figure Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, got the new year off to a tense start in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The executions have already caused a worsening of Saudi-Iran relations and foreshadow heightened sectarian-driven tensions across the […]
Nimr Execution Is Latest Unforced Error For Saudi Arabia
The shocking news that Saudi Arabia executed 47 people over the weekend, including Shiite cleric and opposition figure Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, got the new year off to a tense start in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The executions have already caused a worsening of Saudi-Iran relations and foreshadow heightened sectarian-driven tensions across the […]
Geneive Abdo quoted in Peacefare.net on religion & identity in Iraq
On Thursday, Stimson hosted a discussion in cooperation with the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) entitled Threat Of ISIS In Iraq: Views From The Ground. Speakers included: Stimson Middle East Fellow Geneive Abdo, Brookings Non-resident Fellow Christine van den Toorn, AUIS Director of the center for Development and Natural Resources Bilal Wahab. Three AUIS […]
Ellen Laipson quoted in Bloomberg View on Iranian behavior after the deal
The intelligence assessment provided to Congress to support the Iran nuclear deal has a hole: It fails to examine the intentions of Iran’s regime to actually comply with the agreement over time. -snip- Ellen Laipson, a former vice chair of the National Intelligence Council, told me the Revolutionary Guard could make mischief, but there was […]
Ellen Laipson interviewed at the Aspen Security Forum on “Iran & the Bomb”
Is there still time to prevent Tehran from going nuclear? This panel addresses the threat of a nuclear Iran along with other security threats of a similar game changing nature and how best to counter them. Watch the full “Iran & the Bomb” discussion here.
Geneive Abdo quoted in Anadolu Agency on Iran nuclear deal
Saudi Arabia will likely respond to Iran’s historic nuclear agreement by using its two primary policy instruments: oil and religion, according to Zubair Iqbal, an expert from Washington-based Middle East Institute on Thursday. -snip- Geneive Abdo, an expert from the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings Institute and in the Middle East program at […]