Iran
U.S. Options on Iran
The Iranian government has begun taking steps to discourage potential protests as the thirty-first anniversary of the Islamic Revolution draws near. Robert Kagan suggests that by helping the Iranian people achieve a new form of government, President Obama will make the world a dramatically safer place. Henri Barkey and Uri Dadush explain why a U.S. military response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions is infeasible.
Guantanamo
Guantanamo's Impact on U.S. National Security
President Obama’s self-imposed deadline for closing the U.S. military detention facility in Guantanamo Bay has passed. Christopher Boucek outlines the reasons why the administration missed the deadline, the importance of Guantanamo on broader U.S. counterterrorism objectives, and the options for a long-term solution.
Yemen
Yemen in Crisis
As the threat posed by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula becomes clearer to the West, Yemen is attempting to increase its efforts to combat terrorist activity within its borders. Christopher Boucek outlines the problems which have undermined Yemen’s stability and created a haven for terrorists.
Iraq
Inside the Iraq Elections 2010
The Iraqi parliamentary elections in March 2010 will determine whether the country moves toward consolidating a stable democracy, or slides deeper into sectarian turmoil and possible civil war. Carnegie presents real-time analysis of the six major Iraqi political alliances and their most significant members.
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb—an Algerian jihadi group—garnered worldwide media exposure after its 2007 attacks in Algeria. Jean-Pierre Filiu explains that the failure of al-Qaeda in the Maghreb to transform itself into a North Africa-wide organization is the result of the Algerian government’s more effective military strategy and the collapse of al-Qaeda in Iraq.
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Understanding Cyperspace as a Medium for Radicalization and Counter-Radicalization
Given the prominent role of the internet in propagating and perpetuating violent Islamist ideology, identifying methods to short-circuit internet radicalization has become an urgent goal for numerous countries, including Saudi Arabia.
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Middle East Democracy Promotion Is Not a One-way Street
President Obama is under pressure to relaunch the political reform agenda in the Middle East, but low U.S. credibility and the region’s political stagnation leave little hope that typical methods will be successful. Marina Ottaway explains that the Obama administration must engage in a new type of dialogue with the region, one modeled after the process used to improve relations with the Soviet bloc, if it wants to have any chance of impacting political reform in the Middle East.
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Talking to Turkey
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently met with President Obama at the White House where issues surrounding Afghanistan and Iran led the agenda. Henri Barkey and Morton Abramowitz argue that the two leaders should also focus on addressing the growing gap between Turkish and U.S. public rhetoric, which threatens to create a rift between Turkey and the West.
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Iran, the United States, and the Gulf: The Elusive Regional Policy
Engagement with Iran has been one of the centerpieces of President Obama’s foreign policy agenda. Marina Ottaway explains that any effective U.S. diplomatic approach to Iran must involve other Gulf nations. A normalization of relations between Tehran and its neighbors is an important and attainable step for reintegrating Iran into the international community.
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Getting to Pluralism: Political Actors in the Arab
The imbalance of power in Arab countries allows regimes to stay in control virtually unchallenged by non-violent opposition groups. Without a break in the stalemate between the key players democratization is impossible. Getting to Pluralism: Political Actors in the Arab World, a new book edited by Marina Ottaway and Amr Hamzawy with contributions by Michele Dunne, analyzes the political stagnation entrenched across the region.
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After Abu Mazin? Letting the Scales Fall From Our Eyes
In the wake of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s announcement that he would not seek a second term, any further attempts at some form of peace process must not ignore a few basic realities. Nathan Brown discusses the evolving political situation in Palestine.
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Yemen: Terrorism's Newest Front Line?
Yemen’s multiple economic and security problems transcend the threat posed by al-Qaeda. Without immediate involvement on the part of the international community to address Yemen’s many crises, the country risks becoming a failed state.
Featured Event
Making the Next Bin Laden
Over the past eight years, al-Qaeda has experienced a metamorphosis. The man now poised to succeed Osama bin Laden, and the embodiment of the “New Al-Qaeda Man,” is Shaykh Abu Yahya al-Libi, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise into the senior ranks of al-Qaeda and has been integral in recalibrating al-Qaeda.
Resources
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Carnegie Arabic Web Portal
Carnegie’s Arabic-language resource is designed to reach new audiences and broaden access to Carnegie’s growing volume of Arabic publications.
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Arab Political Systems
Provides easily accessible baseline information about the political systems of Arab countries, and is frequently updated to provide information about reforms being introduced.
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Fact Sheet: U.S. Actors Promoting Democacy in the Middle East
This Carnegie Fact Sheet clarifies the growing and often confusing world of U.S. governmental and nongovernmental organizations that are funding and implementing democracy assistance programs in this region.
