All items
- The Critical Role of Palestinian State-Building
- Original Commentary | Dec 22, 2010
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Palestinian worker in stone and marble factory outside Bethlehem
On December 10, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined efforts necessary to achieving Middle East peace. She called on the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to address the core issues of the conflict, and said that the United States would work with both parties towards this end. In addition, Clinton mentioned the need for regional states to continue to develop the Arab Peace Initiative, and stressed the importance of the Palestinian Authority (PA) state-building program while underscoring
- Examining the P5+1-Iran Talks in Context
- Original Commentary | Dec 6, 2010
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P5+1-Iran Meeting in Geneva (AP)
The P5+1 is currently holding its first meetings with Iran in more than one year. What do you think are the objectives of the two sides in these meetings?
The objective of the P5+1, particularly the United States and Europe, is to commence a process whereby Iran would eventually, in the near term, agree to meaningful and binding nuclear compromises and greater transparency. Whereas in previous discussions the goal of the United States was for Tehran to cease uranium enrichment, I
- Egyptians and Jordanians Head to the Polls
- Original Commentary | Dec 1, 2010
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President Mubarak votes in Egyptian parliamentary election (AP)
Recent elections in Jordan and Egypt have taken center stage. On November 9, Jordan held parliamentary elections where nearly 53 percent of eligible voters turned out to vote. Opposition parties fared poorly in the elections, some of which boycotted the elections in response to the passing of a new election law in May. The law, which created a new districting system, led some candidates with fewer votes to gain a seat in Parliament while others with
- Working Towards Progress
- Original Commentary | Nov 17, 2010
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Secretary of State Clinton and Prime Minister Netanyahu at their recent meeting in New York (AP)
On November 11, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York. Reports suggest that the meeting helped pave the way for a U.S.-Israel agreement whereby the United States would provide Israel with incentives to extend a one-off settlement moratorium for 90 days. Construction in East Jerusalem would reportedly not be included in the extension. Reported incentives include the United States giving Israel 20 additional F-35 fighter jets worth about
- Assessing the Situation in Afghanistan
- Original Commentary | Nov 12, 2010
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Afghanistan peace council inaugural session (AP)
Middle East Bulletin interview with Caroline Wadhams, director for South Asia Security Studies, Center for American Progress.
You recently returned from a NATO-led trip to Afghanistan. What were the key lessons learned from the trip?
There were a few key takeaways from the trip. First, I saw just how extensive our footprint is in Afghanistan, in terms of infrastructure, personnel, money, bases, equipment, etc. It was sobering to see how entangled we are in that country and how difficult it will be
- Lebanon’s Stability Takes Center Stage
- Original Commentary | Oct 29, 2010
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U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman speaks at a press conference during his visit to Lebanon (AP)
On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice underscored U.S. support for the Lebanese government, while criticizing Syria and Iran for supporting Hezbollah and undermining Lebanese sovereignty. Her comments followed Syrian President Bashar Assad’s criticism of the United States. The week before Jeffrey Feltman, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, visited Lebanon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman on the phone, following Iranian President Mahmoud
- Understanding Post-Referendum Turkey
- Original Commentary | Oct 26, 2010
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Prime Minister Erdoğan (AP)
Middle East Bulletin interview with Michael Werz, senior fellow, Center for American Progress.
You recently returned from a trip to Turkey where you held meetings with senior government officials and opposition leaders, what were some of the main themes discussed during these meetings?
The meetings with President Gul, Prime Minister Erdoğan, and Deputy Prime Minister Babacan dealt with issues that are currently at the core of Turkish-American relations: the Iran nuclear discussion and the deteriorating relationship between Turkey and Israel; but also
- A Note From Middle East Progress
- | Oct 26, 2010
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We would like to take this opportunity to thank Moran Banai, former Middle East Progress (MEP) policy director, for her guidance and leadership provided since 2007. Moran played a critical role in MEP’s early stages and has been a key part of the project’s development over the years. With her departure the MEP team will miss a strong analyst, leader and friend.
We launched Middle East Progress (MEP) in 2007 to promote and highlight practical approaches to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict
- U.S.-Saudi Arms Deal
- Original Commentary | Oct 22, 2010
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King Abdullah and President Obama (AP)
On Wednesday, October 20, the State department notified Congress of an arms deal with Saudi Arabia consisting of $60 billion in U.S. weapons and aircraft. The deal has been in the works since 2007. Congress has 30 days to block the deal. This sale represents the largest foreign arms deal in U.S. history, if fully carried out.
Middle East Bulletin (MEB) has been examining developments in Saudi Arabia over the years, including publishing a backgrounder
- Netanyahu’s Moves Spark Debate on Intentions
- Analysis | Oct 13, 2010
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An offer on Monday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu … to freeze West Bank Jewish settlements in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state—instantly rejected by the Palestinians— was the latest complex maneuver engendering debate about his intentions. The offer … was aimed either at keeping talks with the Palestinians alive and his right-wing coalition partners in check, or at seeking to shift the burden of failure to the Palestinians and escape blame should the talks wither