Middle East

Syria: Thinking Strategically

By Frederic C. Hof

What is it that the United States wants to accomplish in Syria?  What should be done to achieve it? These are simple questions. Yet there are no simple answers. What we want and how to get it are contentious issues. Yet when it comes to matters of national security there are few governmental processes more […]

At Last, Public Participation in Constitution-Making in Tunisia

By Duncan Pickard

The deplorable and tragic assassination of Chokri Belaid last week has emboldened the lines of battle in Tunisian politics. Rallies and counter-rallies have fallen along partisan divisions, between the largely secular opponents and Islamist supporters of the Ennahda-led government. Some secularists accuse Ennahda of orchestrating the assassination despite unequivocal condemnations by Ennahda leaders, and some […]

Dispatch from Tripoli: Tension in Anticipation of February 17

By Karim Mezran

Libyans are anxiously anticipating what might happen this week, on February 17, the second anniversary of the Libyan uprising; the streets are tense and the government is preparing for the worst. Libyan officials are worried that citizens upset with the poor performance of the government, Qaddafi elements seeking to destabilize the country, and Cyrenaican federalists […]

The President’s Decision-Making on Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

Washington was again caught by surprise last week in the wake of reports that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and ex-CIA Director David Petraeus had advised President Barack Obama last July to reverse policy and arm vetted Syrian rebels. The latest shoe dropped when Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint […]

The United States and the Gulf States: Uncertain Partners in a Changing Region

Given the continued congruence of interests between the Gulf states and the United States and the potential for some Gulf states to play an even greater regional and global role, now is the time to reexamine the partnership and de-conflict interests. On February 7, Hariri Center senior fellow and retired US career diplomat Richard LeBaron […]

The US and the Gulf States: uncertain partners in a changing region

By Richard LeBaron

The Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East and the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security are pleased to release a new issue brief, “The United States and the Gulf States: Uncertain Partners in a Changing Region.” Senior Fellow Richard LeBaron evaluates the relationship between the United States and the Gulf states as they face […]

How Chokri Belaid’s Assassination Impacts the Tunisian Transition

By Eric Knecht

Once word spread of the assassination of Tunisian opposition leader Chokri Belaid, an outspoken critic of the Ennahda Islamist party, thousands of Tunisians took to the streets calling for the fall of the Ennahda-led government. Although the death of Belaid is the immediate cause of unrest, pressure has been mounting on the Islamist ruling party […]