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In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

07/02/09
The U.S. Pullout from Iraqi Cities  —
06/25/09
Understanding the Situation in Iran  —Geneive Abdo, fellow, The Century Foundation; former Iran correspondent, The Guardian (1998-2001)
06/23/09
Solving the Problem of the Old City  —Michael Bell, former Canadian ambassador to Egypt, Israel and Jordan; co-director, Jerusalem Old City Initiative, University of Windsor. Interview with Middle East Bulletin.

Setting the Record Straight

Potential Partner for Regional Stability

“As long as the current radical regime is in power in Damascus, there won’t be any negotiated peace even of the most superficial variety because the conflict is indispensible to the Syrian dictatorship. And the most probably type of change in Syria—though its likelihood is still low—to a radical Islamist regime would make any such peace even less likely.”
—Barry Rubin, director, Global Research in International Affairs Center, IDC Herzliya, “Peace on the Borderline,” The Rubin Report, May 31, 2009versus
  • “The al-Asad regime in Syria continues to play the dangerous game of allowing or accepting extremist networks and terrorist facilitators to operate from and through Syrian territory. ... However, unlike Iran, Syria’s motives probably stem from short-sighted calculations rather than ideology. It is possible that over time Syria could emerge as a partner in promoting security in the Levant and in the region.”
    —General David Petraeus, commander, U.S. Central Command, testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, “The Afghanistan-Pakistan Strategic Review and the Posture of U.S. Central Command,” April 2, 2009

    • Middle East Analysis

    Upcoming Events

    WATCH: Prospects for a Two-State Solution: Understanding Challenges and Creating Opportunities

    Featured panelists:

    Brigadier General (Ret.) Ilan Paz, former head of the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank (2002-2005)
    Ghaith al-Omari, advocacy director, American Task Force on Palestine; advisor, Middle East Progress; former advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas

    Discussion moderated by:

    Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress, advisor, Middle East Progress

    When: Friday, March 20, 2009
    Program: 9:00am to 10:30am

    WATCH HERE

    Guide to Preparing International Summits

    July 18, 2007

    Do your homework
    Preparation in advance of the summit is essential in working with conflicting parties. In preparation for the 1979 Camp David summit, President Carter corresponded extensively with Israeli and Egyptian officials while greatly utilizing the full range of executive resources to gain a complete understanding of the parties’ interests. After the conclusion of the Gulf War Secretary of State James Baker made eight trips to the region in preparation for the Madrid Peace Conference.

    Start with everyone with a vested interest
    An Israeli-Palestinian agreement affects regional neighbors, and often requires various kinds of support. The Arab League Initiative is indicative of the nature of inter-locking issues in the region. The Madrid Conference included delegations from Syria, part of the U.S.-led coalition during the first Gulf War, Lebanon, which maintained neutrality during that war, in addition to Jordan and the Palestinians, both critics of that war.

    Don’t forget U.S. role in bridging divides is critical
    The presence of the U.S. is integral to the Arab-Israeli peace process. The U.S. worked to bridge conflicting positions while providing incentives and guarantees to each side in numerous instances. This commitment was clear in the Israel-Egypt peace treaty in 1979 and was illustrated through the 1990s’ with the Madrid Peace Conference, Israel-Jordan peace accord in 1994 and the Wye River Accord in 1996.

    Do not miss windows of opportunity
    President Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem in 1977 provided a breakthrough that led to Camp David and the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The conclusion of the first Gulf War, the initiation of the Madrid Conference by President Bush, the subsequent election of Prime Minister Rabin, laid the foundation for the Oslo process, from which emerged not only consensus around a two- state solution to the still unresolved Israeli Palestinian conflict, but also, by 1994, the Israel-Jordan peace accord.