Middle East PolicyCast

Diplomat-in-residence Olivier Decottignies from the French Foreign Ministry share an insider’s view of the jihadist threat facing Europe – how the Islamic State seeks to exploit economic, cultural, and political crises facing the European Union and what EU leaders are and should be doing about it.

Days before the deadly bombings in Brussels, Belgian authorities carried out raids that killed or captured several of Europe’s most-wanted terrorists. At the same time, Institute Fromer-Wexler fellow Matthew Levitt was in Brussels, meeting with Belgian counter-terrorism officials from neighborhood cops to national intelligence leaders. What he found was a city where a terrorist safe-haven has arisen side-by-side with the gleaming capital of modern Europe. On one picturesque square in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek, Matt saw on one corner, the mayor’s ornate office, and on the opposite corner, the family home of accused Paris conspirator Salah Abdeslam.

Anna Borshchevskaya explains how Russia's growing weakness and Vladimir Putin's focus on maintaining his grip on domestic power have led to meddling and intervention across the Middle East.

Days before the deadly bombings in Brussels, Belgian authorities carried out raids that killed or captured several of Europe’s most-wanted terrorists. At the same time, Institute Fromer-Wexler fellow Matthew Levitt was in Brussels, meeting with Belgian counter-terrorism officials from neighborhood cops to national intelligence leaders. What he found was a city where a terrorist safe-haven has arisen side-by-side with the gleaming capital of modern Europe. On one picturesque square in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek, Matt saw on one corner, the mayor’s ornate office, and on the opposite corner, the family home of accused Paris conspirator Salah Abdeslam.

Anna Borshchevskaya explains how Russia's growing weakness and Vladimir Putin's focus on maintaining his grip on domestic power have led to meddling and intervention across the Middle East.

On February 8, 2013, Daniel Benjamin, Karen Betts, and Matthew Levitt addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Mr. Benjamin is the State Department's former ambassador-at-large and coordinator for counterterrorism. Ms. Betts is a political counselor and representative for the Joint Intelligence Committee at the British embassy in Washington.

Speaking to Middle Eastern publics was difficult enough when friendly (and some not-so-friendly) autocrats were in charge; projecting American interests and values to Middle Easterners at a time of tumultuous political change may be even more challenging. To discuss the many facets of U.S. engagement with the region in the post-Tahrir Square era of uncertainty, The Washington Institute invited The Honorable Tara D. Sonenshine to address a Policy Forum luncheon in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2013.

Tara D. Sonenshine has served since April 2012 as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs. Previously, she was executive vice president of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a senior National Security Council official during the Clinton administration, and an Emmy-winning producer of news programs on domestic and international issues for network television.

On September 21, 2012, Patrick Clawson and Dennis Ross addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute to discuss the findings of the soon-to-be-released study Preventing an Iranian Nuclear Breakout: U.S.-Israel Coordination. Dr. Clawson is director for research and head of the Iran Security Initiative at the Institute. Ambassador Ross is the Institute's counselor and former special assistant to President Obama. The following is a rapporteur's summary of their remarks. Institute fellow David Makovsky also addressed the forum; an account of his remarks will be published separately.

On July 31, David Crist and Ambassador James Jeffrey addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Dr. Crist, a senior historian for the U.S. government and a special advisor to the head of U.S. Central Command, is author of the new book The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran. Mr. Jeffrey has served as U.S. ambassador to both Iraq and Turkey.