by Paul R. Pillar There is much to be said for what is commonly called a “zero-based review”—a fresh look at a problem or project unencumbered by existing assumptions and practices. Just about any organization or mission could benefit periodically… Continue Reading
by Matar E. Matar After claiming that Bahrain has achieved “meaningful progress,” the United States decided to lift the holds on security assistance to Bahrain’s military forces. Since this decision took place, the government summoned and then arrested Majeed Milad, the… Continue Reading
by John Feffer When I talked with Turkish photographer Attila Durak back in 2007, he was just finishing up a project documenting the country’s many ethnic groups. “Ask any intellectual here, ‘How many ethnic groups are living in Turkey?’ and… Continue Reading
by Henry Johnson In an impressively detailed report on the president’s budget request for FY2016, experts at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) make it clear that President Obama has prioritized the security of authoritarian regimes in the Middle… Continue Reading
by Emile Nakhleh Once Iran concludes a nuclear agreement with the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany), the Middle East would be ripe for bold, creative, and courageous policy moves by the United States. Pursuing… Continue Reading