RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bilal Y. Saab, November 2008, CTC Sentinel
Bilal Saab examines the Salafi-jihadi movement in Lebanon which he believes has no operational ties to the tribal areas of Pakistan-Afghanistan. He writes that the movement in Lebanon is neither fictional nor a creation of Syrian intelligence services, and instead has a Lebanese constituency not entirely made up of Palestinians. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bilal Y. Saab, Fall 2008, Middle East Policy Council Journal
Bilal Saab provides an examination of the true nature of Hezbollah, which he argues is an essential pre-requisite for sound policy making toward the organization. He recommends a rethinking of the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament through a proper assessment of the challenge it poses and a thorough understanding of its organic connection with Iran. Read More
PAST EVENT
Friday, September 05, 2008
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Washington, DC
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted Senior Fellow Kenneth Pollack for a discussion of his book A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East. In the book, Pollack offers a long-term strategy to improve the political, economic and social problems that underlie the region’s many crises. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Navtej Dhillon, Jad Chaaban and Tarik Yousef, June 26, 2008, The Brookings Institution
According to a recent study by the Middle East Youth Initiative, the region loses $25 billion a year due to youth unemployment. Navtej Dhillon, MEYI Director/Fellow, Jad Chaaban, Assistant Professor at American University of Beirut, and Tarik Yousef, Brookings Senior Fellow and Dean of the Dubai School of Government, discuss country statistics and regional policy implications. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Hady Amr, June 04, 2008, Middle East Times
Hady Amr writes about the need for Lebanon to create a truly democratic electoral system, free from the legal restrictions that divide the government into religious sects. He believes the current feudal system of government must be eliminated in order for the country to come together as Lebanese rather than sectarian groups. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Daniel L. Byman, May 2008, Saban Center Analysis Paper
The current United States approach to state sponsorship of terrorism is flawed, writes Daniel Byman. He suggests that instead of simply managing a list of state sponsors, Washington needs to recognize the complexity of sponsorship, monitor states using a broad definition of what constitutes state sponsorship, and use diplomatic pressure as well as political and economic penalties when needed. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Tamara Cofman Wittes, May 21, 2008, Middle East Strategy at Harvard
Tamara Cofman Wittes discusses a new deal announced in Doha between Lebanese factions including Hezbollah. Wittes believes that this decision should force others in the Middle East to recognize that Hezbollah is a regional actor with ambitions outside of Lebanon. Read More
PAST EVENT
Thursday, May 15, 2008
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Doha, Qatar
On May 15, 2008, The Brookings Doha Center (BDC), a project of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, hosted Shibley Telhami for the first in-house BDC policy luncheon. The discussion focused on Dr. Telhami’s latest academic polling on public attitudes in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bilal Y. Saab and Magnus Ranstorp, May 05, 2008, Al Hayat & The Daily Star
Bilal Saab and Magnus Ranstorp dissect a recent message from Ayman al-Zawahri urging Muslims worldwide to join insurgencies. Regarding Al-Qaeda's view of Lebanon's role, Saab and Ranstorp state that even though societal structure plays against attempts to establish a solid presence, "the reality is that Lebanon has turned into a place where jihadist travelers can quietly meet, train, and plan operations against Israel and the West." Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Martin S. Indyk, April 24, 2008, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
In congressional testimony, Martin Indyk argued that the current policy of isolating Syria has had mixed results. He believes that the next U.S. president should consider a different approach that could foster a more productive relationship allowing mutual goals to be realized in the troubled region. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Peter W. Rodman, April 24, 2008, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Testifying before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Peter Rodman argued "the conditions do not exist for an improvement of relations with Syria as long as Syrian policies remain hostile to important interest of ours in the Middle East." He concluded that Syria must change course in relation to Iraq, Lebanon, and Arab-Israeli peace before the U.S. reaches out to the country. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
Washington, DC
The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted a policy luncheon on March 19, 2008 with Jeffrey Feltman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and, until recently, the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon. Feltman addressed the crisis in Lebanon in the context of his three and a half years experience there. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bilal Y. Saab, March 19, 2008, Middle East Memo #12
Lebanon is mired in a long running political crisis and the country has been without a president since November 2007. Bilal Saab writes that "three years after the withdrawal of Syrian troops, Lebanon has become less, not more stable." He offers suggestions for the U.S. to reshape its policy towards the country. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bilal Y. Saab, March 17, 2008, Jane's Foreign Report
Bilal Saab investigates the likely responses from Hezbollah in light of the recent killing of Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
On March 4, Brookings hosted journalist and author Robin Wright for a discussion of her new book, Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East. Wright focused on the pivotal countries and regions of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and Morocco, drawing on first-hand interviews with many of the region’s key players. Read More