Top Features
Strategic Reset
A new four-point strategy for Iraq and the Middle East from Brian Katulis, Lawrence J. Korb, and Peter Juul.
Contain and Engage
Joseph Cirincione and Andrew Grotto outline five options and an effective strategy for resolving the nuclear crisis with Iran.Other Middle East Features
June 30, 2009
After Redeployment from Iraqi Cities
Today marks a step forward in rebalancing U.S. national security priorities, but the Obama administration still has work to do in Iraq, write Brian Katulis and Emily Hogin.
June 29, 2009
Middle East Conflict and Israel’s Neighborhood
Brian Katulis provides another photo essay from the Middle East that highlights the close borders in Israel.
June 25, 2009
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Difficult and Changing Landscape
Brian Katulis shares photographs and insights about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from his current trip to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Ramallah.
June 23, 2009
Ask the Expert: President Obama's Approach to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Moran Banai discusses President Obama's strategy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, how it differs from the Bush administration, and whether Netanyahu's speech changes anything.
June 17, 2009
Improving U.S. Credibility in the Middle East
A CAP event examines the Obama administration’s steps to close Guantánamo and other ways the administration can repair the U.S. image in the Middle East.
June 5, 2009
Jerusalem’s Role in the Middle East Peace Process
Panelists discuss the importance of Jerusalem within a larger resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how the challenge of the Old City can be resolved.
June 3, 2009
Obama in Egypt: A Vision for Democracy Promotion
President Barack Obama's historic address to the Muslim world in Cairo tomorrow offers a prime opportunity to outline a new U.S. vision for democracy and human rights in the region. To accomplish this goal, Obama must firmly reject the notion that safeguarding America's strategic interests in the Middle East somehow runs counter to the goal of advancing political reform. Instead he must craft a balanced message that recognizes that reform is synonymous with U.S. interests in the region.
May 19, 2009
Lawrence Korb on Why Iran Is Not Hitler's Germany
I met Lawrence Korb in Tel Aviv last week, as we were both on the same panel in the BESA-ADL conference on U.S.-Israel relations. Korb is a Senior Fellow at American Progress and a senior advisor to the Center for Defense Information. Mr. Korb was also a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution, and dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. He served as assistant secretary of defense (manpower, reserve affairs, installations, and logistics) from 1981 through 1985. In that position, he administered about 70 percent of the defense budget. For his service in that position, he was awarded the Department of Defense's medal for Distinguished Public Service. More about his very impressive bio here.
April 15, 2009
Lessons from Iraq: Using Aid Effectively in Afghanistan and Pakistan
CAP explores the lessons from Iraq and the challenges in Afghanistan with the special inspector generals who are leading reconstruction efforts in both countries.
March 23, 2009
Prospects for A Two-State Solution
Israeli Brigadier General Ilan Paz and Ghaith al-Omari, former advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, join CAP to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
March 19, 2009
Gulf States Essential for an Integrated Regional Strategy
Brian Katulis in Middle East Progress: "[T]he Arab Gulf countries have an important role in helping address one of the thorniest global security challenges today—Iran’s nuclear program."
March 19, 2009
Lessons from Six Years in Iraq
Six years after the start of the Iraq war, Lawrence Korb, Sean Duggan, and Laura Conley reflect on its consequences at home and abroad.
March 17, 2009
Exiting Iraq Responsibly
An international effort is needed to address enduring economic and political challenges ahead, write Katie White and Steve Bowden.
March 16, 2009
Blogging a Trip to the Arab Gulf
Brian Katulis blogs about his trip to the Arab Gulf at Foreign Policy magazine.
March 16, 2009
Analysis from a Trip to the Arab Gulf
I'm currently on a short visit to the Arab Gulf, organized by the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It's the sort of study tour that DC think tank analysts, national newspaper columnists, and media pundits of all sorts engage in on a regular basis
February 20, 2009
Israel’s Likely New Leader
Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu hopes to form a broad government in Israel, but his path is littered with challenges, writes Moran Banai.
February 18, 2009
Democracy Promotion in the Middle East and the Obama Administration
Brian Katulis discusses the challenges facing the Obama administration in the Middle East in this report for The Century Foundation.
February 13, 2009
A Two-State Solution Is Still Essential
Moran Banai explains that despite support for right-wing candidates in Tuesday’s Israeli election, a political solution is still possible for Israelis and Palestinians.
February 10, 2009
Developing Innovative Economic Tools
Several economic projects—a loan guarantee facility, political risk insurance and supply chain management efforts aimed at creating tangible economic growth in the West Bank and Gaza—help provide important economic steps that link up with the other tracks to move the peace process forward.
February 9, 2009
Obama's Approach to Iran: How Should He Proceed?
When President Obama begins to implement his campaign promise to engage Iran diplomatically on all the issues dividing us, he needs to keep in mind certain events that have shaped Iran’s perception of the United States, as well as the problems that his predecessors faced when undertaking diplomatic initiatives toward “evil” regimes. And, he needs to consider that a big player in getting Iran to modify its behavior is going to be Russia.
February 5, 2009
Managing the Transition in U.S. Policy
The results of Iraq’s provincial elections are not yet final, but some analysts have already drawn conclusions about their meaning.
January 28, 2009
The Fractured Shia of Iraq
Report from Matthew Duss and Peter Juul delivers analysis of the tensions within Iraq's majority party
January 28, 2009
Background Brief: Shia Islam
A companion to the report from Matthew Duss and Peter Juul, "The Fractured Shia of Iraq: Understanding the Tensions within Iraq’s Majority."
January 28, 2009
Background Brief: Major Shia political groups
A companion to the report from Matthew Duss and Peter Juul, "The Fractured Shia of Iraq: Understanding the Tensions within Iraq’s Majority."
January 12, 2009
Operation Safe Haven Iraq 2009
New report from Natalie Ondiak and Brian Katulis presents an action plan for airlifting endangered Iraqis linked to the United States.
November 6, 2008
Multitasking in the Middle East
The challenges from Iraq and Afghanistan to Israel and Iran are interconnected. Obama needs a comprehensive approach.
October 24, 2008
The contributions of Iran
FEW COUNTRIES were as helpful to the United States in its early involvement in Afghanistan as Iran. Yet after the fall of the Taliban, the US failed to capitalize on the possibilities of that strategic relationship. Now coalition and Afghan troops are losing ground against the same insurgents they confronted in 2001, in a war that the United States is unlikely to win unless it rethinks its relationship with Iran.
October 21, 2008
Dealing with Iraq
Brian Katulis and Peter Juul outline four reasons why Americans need to debate the proposed U.S.-Iraq security agreement.
September 26, 2008
New Provincial Election Law Passes in Iraq
The law is one small step forward in Iraq’s political transition, write Brian Katulis and Peter Juul, but there still many more ahead.
August 14, 2008
Jordan Reaches Across the Divide
Iraq will need its neighbors’ support to achieve progress and stability; King Abdullah’s visit is a crucial first step.
July 29, 2008
Moving Beyond the Carter Doctrine: The U.S. Military Presence in the Persian Gulf
In the nearly three decades since the United States declared its vital interests required U.S. military forces to maintain security in the Persian Gulf, the American military footprint—and engagements—in this volatile region have multiplied. As military planners and political decision-makers look beyond the region’s current crises, what will America’s longer-term security posture be in the Gulf? Lawrence Korb, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former assistant secretary of Defense, makes recommendations in "Moving Beyond the Carter Doctrine: The U.S. Military Presence in the Persian Gulf," a new report for The Century Foundation.
May 30, 2008
America’s Dangerous Blind Spot in the Middle East
Iraq’s evolving relationship with Iran reshapes the regional landscape in the Middle East, threatening U.S. interests, observes Brian Katulis.
May 28, 2008
A New Tack Toward Tehran
The IAEA confirms that Iran still won’t come clean on its nuclear activities. More action is needed, writes Andrew Grotto.
May 13, 2008
An Unlikely Threat to Democracy
When Turkey's chief prosecutor brought a lawsuit this spring asking the country's Constitutional Court to close down its governing political party, he set in motion a dangerous chain of events that could undue years of political and economic progress in Turkey.
May 13, 2008
Interactive Map: What Are You Paying for the War?
See how much taxpayers in each state could now be paying based on the president's new request to fund operations in Iraq through the end of the year.
May 5, 2008
The Perils of Unconditional Engagement
Whether or not to engage Hamas is a question of whether engagement would help moderate the organization or improve Hamas’ chances of dominating the Palestinian political scene.
April 30, 2008
Arab Unity: Now Is the Time for New Policies
The United States has a window of opportunity to show leadership in the Middle East, writes Amanda Rios.
April 30, 2008
The United States Can Do More for Iraqi Refugees
Iraq’s displaced population is the primary threat to the country’s future stability, write Brian Katulis and Peter Juul.
April 16, 2008
Fixated on Tactics: Iraq War Supporters Lack Strategies
Defending tactics for an open-ended military commitment in Iraq exposes proponents of “strategic patience” to the folly of their own arguments, writes Peter Juul.
April 11, 2008
Strategic confusion
Misunderstanding Iran's role works to increase its influence in Iraq, write Brian Katulis and Matthew Duss.
April 11, 2008
Post-Annapolis: U.S. Needs a Comprehensive Strategy
Moran Banai and Mara Rudman outline next steps for the United States in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking six months after Annapolis.
April 9, 2008
Iran’s Special Groups: The Latest “Stay the Course” Excuse
U.S. forces are threatened by various Iran-backed groups in Iraq, says Gen. Petraeus. Does he include those groups that we also support?
April 9, 2008
Conflating Al Qaeda in Iraq and Osama bin Laden’s Transnational Network
Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker insist on directly linking Al Qaeda in Iraq with Osama bin Laden, observes Peter Juul.
April 8, 2008
Hazy Iraq Benchmarks: Political Success Requires Implementation
Petraeus claims “surge” is fostering Iraqi reconciliation, yet by his own benchmarks this is fiction, write Brian Katulis and Peter Juul.
March 26, 2008
Resurging Iraqi Violence: Shi’a Civil War Only One of Many
Latest outbreak of fighting among Shi’a rivals is emblematic of multiple conflicts still raging across the country, writes Brian Katulis.
March 21, 2008
Israel and India: New Allies
Bruce Riedel looks at the growing ties between Israel and India in today's Middle East Bulletin.
March 19, 2008
Background Basics: Iraq's Groups and Regional Actors
Many groups influence the dynamics of the War in Iraq, both within and outside of the country. CAP has a primer for following the groups in the news.
March 19, 2008
Background Basics: Key Middle East Countries
A look at regional actors gives a more complete understanding of the issues in play in Iraq and the solutions needed.
March 19, 2008
Diplomatic Surge Needed
Five years into the Iraq war, Sen. Casey writes that comprehensive regional diplomacy will best stabilize Iraq and help ensure its security.
March 18, 2008