Featured commentary & analysis


Counterterrorism Study Group

The Counterterrorism Study Group is a forum for former counterterrorism officials to review the latest threats, to understand emerging trends and future predictions, and to explore creative new proposals for improving the effectiveness of current policies and operations.


Podcast series

Listen to the latest episode of the China-MENA podcast, featuring conversations with academics, government leaders, and the policy community on China’s role in the Middle East.


Gulf Security Task Force

The Gulf Security Task Force is revisiting the question of how to best protect US interests in this sensitive, always relevant region. Our goal is to provide US decision-makers with an updated, fact-based strategy for protecting US interests in the air and maritime domain from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, and ensuring Gulf partners’ ability to assume this responsibility, with the assistance and leadership of the United States.

Content

In the News

Jun 15, 2017

Handjani Quoted in The Washington Post on Qatar

By Amir Handjani

Read the full article here.

The Gulf

In the News

Jun 15, 2017

Handjani Quoted by the Washington Post on Trump’s Role in Qatar’s Diplomatic Crisis

By Amir Handjani

Read the full article here.

The Gulf

In the News

Jun 15, 2017

Vakhshouri Quoted in Al Jazeera on Qatar’s Battle for LNG Market Share

By Sara Vakhshouri

Read the full article here.

The Gulf

MENASource

Jun 13, 2017

The Rift with Qatar as Seen in Riyadh

By Mohammed Alyahya

What US security agencies now consider a hack of Qatar’s news agency ostensibly sent the GCC into a diplomatic whirlwind. The fallout was swift, and reconciliation remains elusive. As Kuwait, the UN General Secretary, and others try to mediate between the two sides, it is worth asking what Saudi Arabia, as the central power behind […]

Saudi Arabia The Gulf

In the News

Jun 13, 2017

Stein Quoted in New York Times on Saudi-Qatar Rivalry

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Jun 13, 2017

The Arab World’s Sorry State

By Nabeel Khoury

The Arab world is in a sorry state. The spat between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Qatar is but the latest symptom of an enduring serious rot in governance and a destructive power struggle in the wake of the Arab Spring. This situation is compounded by a lack of constructive dialogue on addressing the […]

North Africa Saudi Arabia

In the News

Jun 11, 2017

Ellinas in Cyprus Weekly: The Impact of Tension in the Gulf on Oil and Gas

By Charles Ellinas

Read the full article here.

The Gulf

MENASource

Jun 8, 2017

Factbox: Migrant Workers and the Qatar Rift

By Emelie Chace-Donahue

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar amid accusations of supporting terrorism. The Gulf countries closed off borders and airspace to Qatar, and deported Qatari nationals living in their countries, while Qatar’s stock markets plunged in the wake of the rift. The immediate effects on Qatari […]

North Africa The Gulf

In the News

Jun 8, 2017

Alyahya Quoted by Arab Today on Saudi Arabia’s Use of Social Media to Connect with Citizens

By Mohammed Khalid Alyahya

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia

In the News

Jun 7, 2017

Vakhshouri Joins LobeLog to Discuss Geoeconomic Implications of the Qatar-Gulf Crisis

By Sara Vakhshouri

Watch the full interview here.

The Gulf

Experts