Posted on 28 March 2010. Tags: al-Qaeda, Civil War, Middle East, military, War on Terror, Yemen
The key to successfully driving al-Qaeda out of Yemen is not to continue attacking its strongholds. The means of finding a lasting solution for Yemen is to help stabilize the government, which would allow it to deal with the local faction of al-Qaeda on its own.
Posted in Articles by Region, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 28 March 2010. Tags: Houthis, Iran, Middle East, North Yemen, North Yemen Civil War, Northern Yemen, Yemen
While current regional alignments in the Middle East may seem to be set in stone, they in fact may undergo dramatic and unexpected shifts as the strategic environment on the ground fluctuates. Therefore, when US policy makers confront Yemen and the Middle East as a whole, they must strive to remain a step ahead of the game, drawing lessons from the North Yemeni Civil War about the mutability and ever-changing nature of alliances and hostilities in the region.
Posted in Articles by Region, Featured, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 28 March 2010. Tags: Afghanistan, allied forces, Hamid Karzai, Middle East, military, Taliban, Terrorism, terrorists, War on Terror
The Afghan government must reach the point where it can negotiate with a Taliban that is very much defeated and that will remain so—lest popular unrest, Pakistani (or al-Qaeda) support, or some combination thereof subvert the progress that has been so costly in blood and treasure.
Posted in Articles by Region, Featured, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 15 February 2010. Tags: al-Qaeda, foreign aid, Middle East, Terrorism, U.S., War on Terror, Yemen
America should prevent future attacks by fully acknowledging the threat posed by Yemeni terrorists, ensuring their prosecution when captured, and by continuing current American policy in support of the Yemeni government.
Posted in Articles by Region, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 15 February 2010. Tags: Iran, Middle East, nuclear, sanctions, UN, US
. To move negotiations forward, the U.S. should proceed with a regimen of multilateral sanctions to put pressure on Iran to negotiate seriously. Sanctions, along with focused and serious negotiations, are America’s best chance to disarm Iran and prevent military action.
Posted in Articles by Region, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 25 November 2009. Tags: Arab-Israeli Conflict, Gaza, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, PLO, West Bank
If President Obama wishes to encourage moderate Palestinian leadership and the renewal of negotiations, he must spend his political capital in a manner that reflects the true urgency of the region’s political situation and does not assume, as Mr. Lieberman says, that the region has “learned to live with” violent conflict.
Posted in Articles by Region, Economics and Trade, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 25 November 2009. Tags: Gaza, Goldstone Report, Hamas, human rights, Israel, Middle East, Palestine
Because Israel was justified in its defensive military operations against Hamas and because it took such strong measures to avoid civilian casualties, the U.S. should continue to support its ally in the face of international backlash against the conflict.
Posted in Articles by Region, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 25 November 2009. Tags: Afghanistan, Middle East, Vietnam, War on Terror
The question of whether Afghanistan is the new Vietnam, however, is irrelevant. The real challenge for policy makers is to examine the roots of their similarities in order to find a potential solution to the situation in Afghanistan.
Posted in Articles by Region, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 25 November 2009. Tags: Afghanistan, Middle East, Taliban, troop increase, War on Terror
Obama should endorse McChrystal’s call for more troops and augment it with a shift in political strategy that emphasizes strengthening Afghanistan’s failing government from the ground up.
Posted in Articles by Region, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy
Posted on 25 November 2009. Tags: GCC, Iraq, Middle East, Obama, War on Terror
There is real potential for an independent Iraq to help develop a more secure and stable Persian Gulf. To this end, the U.S. should adopt a policy of respectful support, steering Iraq towards general objectives, but ultimately remaining well above the fray of Iraqi national politics.
Posted in Articles by Region, Middle East, U.S. Foreign Policy