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, 2009

“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

An Ambassador to Syria and a Message to Iran —The National, Editorial
Once More the Smell of Falafel —Zvi Bar'el (Haaretz)
Whether Socialism: Syria Baath Party Debates Renewal —Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
Acting As If Iran Is Not Present —Tariq Alhomayed, editor-in-chief, Asharq Al-Awsat

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

Changing Syria’s Strategic Considerations

May 29, 2008

"[A] peace agreement with Syria is the same as signing a peace agreement with [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad. ... We can not make any concession to Damascus as long as it is an ally of Iran and serves as its base for hostility and aggression against Israel."
--Likud MK Michael Eitan, May 22, 2008

"Iran is Syria's strategic backer in the face of the U.S. and Israel, and once Syria normalizes its ties with the West, it will no longer need Iran ... For Syria, talks with Israel are its way to rectify its ties with the West and the United States, most of all ... Iran needs a reason for friction with Israel. The second a peace agreement is signed with Syria and the Palestinians it will lose most of its excuses for its belligerency against Israel and support of terror organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas."
--Brigadier General (Res.) Shlomo Brom, former head of the Strategic Planning Division in the Planning Branch of the IDF’s General Staff, current senior research fellow at The Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, May 22, 2008