CFR.org - Middle East

Quarterly Report to Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, October 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:37:24 -0500

Report

Iran's Nuclear Diversion

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:49:08 -0500

Ray Takeyh writes that the Iranian administration is diverting attention to its nuclear program as a way to avoid scrutiny of its attempts to squash democratic dissent within Iran.

Stalled Out All Over the World

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:40:31 -0500

Les Gelb points to stalled U.S. efforts in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and others as evidence that "Barack Obama has arrived at a terrible moment of truth in foreign policy."

The Tragedy of Palestinian Divisions

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:42:14 -0400

Expert Rashid Khalidi says it is crucial for Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah to reconcile to effectively negotiate a two-state solution with Israel or face a troubling status quo.

Economist: Looking East and South

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:31:53 -0400

The Economist explores Turkey's new strategy of "reversing antagonism" with its Arab neighbors and puts it into the context of regional power vacuum.

TNR: Putin's Game

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:36 -0400

Seth Roberts writes that Moscow's close economic ties with Tehran will make it hard to convince Putin to put pressure on Iran's nuclear program.

Daily Beast: Inside Iran's Intimidation Campaign

Council on Foreign Relations — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:07:55 -0400

Gary Sick comments on the sentencing of his colleague, Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbaksh, and calls accusations against Tajbaksh "deliberately false."

Nuclear Enrichment Deal With Iran Buys Time

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:11:20 -0400

Expert David Albright, says the preliminary agreement by which Iran will ship its low-enriched uranium to Russia for further processing "allows time for negotiations" to get Iran to freeze its nuclear program but warns Iran might still block the implementation of the plan.

The Iran Talks We Should End

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:15:15 -0400

John B. Bellinger III argues the Obama administration should add the future of the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal to the list of issues to be discussed with Iran.

Power Play

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:07:02 -0400

Mohamad Bazzi analyses the methods and motivations of Syria’s attempts to rejoin the Arab political order after years of isolation.

BBC: Bedouin Who Serve in Israel's Army

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:26:36 -0400

Rachid Sekkai reports on the experiences of Non-Jews in Israel's army, and proves that the traditional image of the Arab-Israeli conflict as one of Jews fighting Muslims is not always accurate.

The Incurable Vietnam Syndrome

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:09:40 -0400

"We would all be well advised to handle Vietnam analogies with great care," writes Max Boot arguing against comparing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Vietnam War.

Iraq's Worrisome Political Process

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:08:47 -0400

Middle East expert Joost Hiltermann says Iraq appears headed for an uncertain, and potentially violent, political season with no clear dominant faction emerging ahead of January parliamentary elections.

Daily Star: The World Can No Longer Afford to ignore Yemen's Internal Convulsions

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:08:42 -0400

Three local power struggles--the Houthi revolt in the north, the southern secessionist movement, and the pervasive threat of al-Qaeda--put Yemen's central government on "the brink of collapse".

Iran's Ballistic Missile Program

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:49:30 -0400

Despite concerns over Iran's nuclear program, the Obama administration has assessed that Tehran is years from a developing a long-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. But past Iranian secrecy and testing bombast have led some experts to remain skeptical of Tehran's capabilities and ambitions.

Academic Conference Call: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class (Audio)

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:34:15 -0400

Listen to Vali R. Nasr, former CFR adjunct senior fellow, discuss his new book, Forces of Fortune: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class and What It Will Mean for Our World, with students as part of CFR's Academic Conference Call series.

The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class (Audio)

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:54:55 -0400

Listen to Vali R. Nasr, former CFR adjunct senior fellow, discuss his new book Forces of Fortune: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class and What It Will Mean for Our World as part of CFR's Religion and Foreign Policy Conference Call series.

Solving the Syrian Puzzle

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:27:11 -0400

CFR's Mohamad Bazzi says Syria continues to "meddle" in the business of many states in the Mideast but could be a useful partner for the United States in the region.

A Different Regime Change in Iran

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:27:30 -0400

Iran's political character--not just its capability--should define the international community's response to its nuclear ambitions, writes Richard Haass.

Détente and the Bunker

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:38:10 -0400

Elliot Abrams questions the Obama administration's "disastrous" foreign policy choices in regards to Iran.

Start-Up Nation

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:45:08 -0400

Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies—produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK? With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine this nation’s adversity-driven culture to answer this question and offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.

The Road Ahead for U.S.-Iran Relations

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:04:10 -0400

Following the high-level U.S.-Iran talks, Iran expert John Limbert says it is possible that the way is being cleared for an eventual long-term dialogue between the two nations but nonetheless urges caution in elevating expectations.

LAT: The Power, and Threat, of Iran

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:54:36 -0400

The issue at the heart of Iran's approach to negotiations, argues Alastair Crooke, is not the nuclear program itself, but whether the United States and Israel are ready to accept Iran as a preeminent power in the Middle East.

Time to Talk to Iran

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:13:40 -0400

Talks in Geneva over Iran's nuclear program ended with Tehran vowing to cooperate with UN inspectors. However, analysts remain divided on how lasting the gains will be.

Background Briefing by a Senior U.S. Official on P5+1 Meeting, October 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:20:03 -0400

Statement

What Iran Wants

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:10:04 -0400

Ahead of Iran's talks with world powers, Iranian Foreign Minister tells CFR.org Tehran will push for recognition of its legal right to enrich uranium, and seek to broaden negotiations to include political, economic, and security partnerships.

'The Right' to Question Iran

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:29:48 -0400

Analyst Joseph S. Nye Jr. says the Obama administration's emphasis on multilateralism raises the prospects for dealing with Iran effectively on its nuclear program but expects no diplomatic breakthroughs in the short term.

WashPost: Forget the Nukes: The Most Fruitful Target Is Iran's Weakening Regime

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:40:48 -0400

Robert Kagan explains why the Obama administration should forget about Iranian nuclear developments and focus rather on Iranian instability and the regime's fight for survival.

Turkey's War at Home

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:58:08 -0400

Steven Cook discusses the political instability in Turkey and its implications for peace in the Middle East.

Guardian: Al-Qaida stumbles in Saudi

Council on Foreign Relations — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:29:40 -0400

The Saudi royals' risky strategy of dealing personally with defecting al-Qaida members, argues Bernard Haykel, "partly explains al-Qaida's defeat in Saudi Arabia."