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In-Depth Coverage

Original Commentaries

07/08/08
Planning the Transition  —Ghaith al-Omari, director of advocacy, American Task Force on Palestine; former foreign policy adviser to Palestinian President Abbas. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.
07/07/08
Moving Forward in Lebanon After Doha: Bridging Deep Divides  —Mona Yacoubian, director of the Lebanon Working Group, U.S. Institute of Peace. Original Commentary for Middle East Bulletin.
06/27/08
Dealing with the Challenge of Prisoners  —Brigadier General (Ret.) Ilan Paz, former head of the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank (2002-2005). Interview with Middle East Bulletin.

Setting the Record Straight

Israeli-Syrian Peace Could Alter Regional Dynamic

“I think [the Israelis] are making a mistake trying to negotiate with Syria now, because I don’t think Syria has any independent ability to make decisions. Over the past several years, Syria has become functionally a satellite of Iran, so that if the Israelis really wanted to negotiate with somebody, they ought to be in Tehran, not in Damascus. … I think it will be seen as a mistake in their domestic politics, and it certainly wouldn’t fit my cost-benefit analysis of a fruitful place to have discussions.”
—John Bolton, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute & former U.S. ambassador to the UN, interview with NationalJournal.com, May 23, 2008 versus
  • "An Israeli-Syrian peace would be based on interests … The first thing the Syrians want is the Golan [Heights], but they want other things too. … Syria wants to be defined differently than Iran and come back to the center of the international system. In terms of Israeli interests, I think the first thing would be no all-out warfare. … In addition, an agreement with Syria would include the larger Arab world and not the Assad government alone. Such an agreement would also undermine Hezbollah, Hamas and extreme Islamist movements. … The United States is needed for addressing the Syrian interests, beyond the Golan, including removal of Syria from the ‘axis of evil’ and economic incentives.”
    —Major General (Ret.) Danny Rothschild, former IDF coordinator of activities in the Palestinian territories (1991-95) & president, Israeli Council for Peace and Security, event ,"Peace with Syria," July 14, 2008 (translated by Middle East Bulletin)

    • Middle East Analysis

    Decisionmakers in Iran: Who’s Who

    August 13, 2007

    Supreme Leader: Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
    Responsibilities: In charge of all critical domestic and foreign policy decisions. Appoints leaders of judiciary, state media, and half of the Council of Guardians. Controls military and intelligence apparatus and is the only person empowered to declare war.
    Council of Guardians
    Chairman: Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati Massah
    Responsibilities: 12-member (6 clerics, 6 lawyers) highly influential body nominated by the Supreme Leader and the judiciary, whose nominees are approved by parliament. The council has veto power on all bills passed by parliament, as well as all candidates for parliament, and the presidency.
    Expediency Discernment Council
    Chairman: Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
    Responsibilities: Policy advisers to the Supreme Leader and mediators of Guardian Council-parliament legislative disputes. Includes heads of judiciary, legislative, and executive branches, clerics of the Guardian Council, and other members appointed by the Supreme Leader.
    President: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
    Responsibilities: Sets economic policy, organizes the cabinet, selects government policies to be considered in parliament. In government matters such as military and intelligence policy, has only nominal power.
    Supreme National Security Council
    Secretary: Ali Ardashir Larijani
    Responsibilities: Body that determines and coordinates specific national security policies within the Supreme Leader’s general framework. It has the lead on the nuclear issue, but its decisions must be ratified by the Supreme Leader. The council is composed of legislative, judiciary, executive, military, and appointed leaders. The secretary is chosen by the president.
    Ambassador to Iraq: Hasan Kazemi Qomi
    Responsibilities: Assisting with reconstruction and representing the Islamic Republic’s interests in high-level meetings with both Iraqi and American diplomats. Ambassador Qomi is the first Iranian Ambassador to Iraq in 20 years, and his presence signals an expanded role for Iran in Iraq.