Politics

Operating in the ‘Gray Zone’ to Counter Iran

2019-09-22

The best way to counter Irans asymmetric strategy in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere is a U.S. gray zone strategy

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Back to Little England?

2019-09-19

The United Kingdoms bid to withdraw from the European Union is typically characterized as a dramatic manifestation of British nationalism.

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Much More Than a Border

2019-09-16

Albukamal and Qaim lie on a Syrian-Iraqi boundary that has had regional implications for decades.

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Is the 21st Century the Chinese Century – or not?

2019-09-16

It has become common for people to refer to the 21st Century as the Chinese Century, much as many called the 20th Century as the American Century.

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Bolton Out at National Security Council

2019-09-16

On Tuesday, National Security Advisor John Bolton was fired by President Trump or he resigned, depending on who one believes.

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Is Iran Negotiating Its Way to Negotiations?

2019-09-04

While Tehrans internal debate about engagement with Washington intensifies, its words and actions already seem to be shaping even unintentionally the terms of any future talks.

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Is Salafism making comeback in Egypt?

2019-08-31

Egypts Ministry of Religious Endowments granted controversial Sheikh Yasser Borhami, vice president of the Salafist Call, a preaching permit for Friday sermons in Alexandria in August

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Division threatens Islamic Dawa after Maliki’s reelection

2019-08-26

The Islamic Dawa Party could on the verge of division after the reelection of Nouri al Maliki as its secretary-general

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America’s Superpower Panic

2019-08-15

History suggests that a global superpower in relative decline should aim for a soft landing, so that it still has a comfortable place in the world once its dominance fades. By contrast, US President Donald Trumps incoherent, confrontational approach towar

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Bahrain’s Perception Problem

2019-08-05

New demonstrations, executions, and diplomatic quarrels threaten to undermine the island’s efforts to improve its pro-Western profile amid the Iran crisis.

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Quieting the Home Front

2019-08-03

Saudi Arabia has used a variety of means to neutralize domestic opposition to the war in Yemen.

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Iran’s threats are an attempt to negotiate

2019-08-01

Iranian officials now appear to be negotiating and rather than using back-channels, they are doing it in plain sight.

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U.S. Senate Targets Saudi Nuclear Technology

2019-08-01

The bipartisan bill follows the revelation that a longtime Trump advisor was pushing for lucrative nuclear deals with Riyadh.

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Russia in the Gray Zone

2019-07-31

In its ongoing efforts to influence world affairs, Russia is waging campaigns both bloodless and bloody. A significant number of its tactics fall in the space between routine statecraft and direct and open warfare, a space sometimes referred to as the gra

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Why this political movement is turning its back on the Iraqi PM

2019-07-28

Ammar al-Hakims National Wisdom Movement, which once supported Adel Abdul Mahdi for the premiership, has turned against the prime minister, organizing protests against his government.

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Sanctions on Iraqi Political Figures: Shaping the Impact and Message

2019-07-22

The United States is now designating politicians who place personal or Iranian interests above the needs of the Iraqi people, but these efforts could go awry if locals don’t understand the justification or consequences.

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There’s a Deal to Be Had Between the U.S. and Iran

2019-07-17

If Tehran agrees to extend the JCPOAs sunset provisions and curtail its activity in Syria and Lebanon, Washington may be willing to lift the nuclear sanctions and create a special-purpose vehicle.

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Trump Couldn’t Ignore the Contradictions of His Foreign Policy Any Longer

2019-07-07

To understand where we are and where we are going, we must first understand where we have been. Trump became president with a set of deeply rooted visceral instincts about the world—hostility to alliances, skepticism of free trade, and support for authori

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Power and Interdependence in the Trump Era

2019-07-07

US President Donald Trump has been accused of weaponizing economic globalization. Sanctions, tariffs, and the restriction of access to dollars have been major instruments of his foreign policy, and he has been unconstrained by allies, institutions, or rul

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U.S. Arms Sales to the Gulf Have Failed

2019-06-22

Despite spending billions of dollars on hardware, our regional partners do not have the capabilities we need.

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Taking on Tehran

2019-06-21

Forty years after the revolution that ousted the Shah, Irans unique political-religious system and government appears strong enough to withstand US pressure and to ride out the countrys current economic difficulties.

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Jordan’s King Abdullah is facing new risks—from his own friends

2019-06-21

In his two decades on the throne, Jordans King Abdullah II has faced almost constant challenges to the stability and prosperity of the kingdom, just as his father Hussein did for the half-century of his rule.

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China Threatens American Defense with Rare Earth Embargo

2019-06-17

Throughout history certain metals have been critical for defense. During the Greek era, it was bronze. During the Roman Empire, it was iron. In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, it was copper.

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America, Russia, and the Tussle for Turkey

2019-06-17

Turkey, which has been westward looking since the days of Ataturk, has become NATO’s fickle partner since Erdogan has come to power. That is best seen in the fight over the Russian S-400 air defense system and the American F-35 fighter aircraft.

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