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Hezbollah's Syrian Quagmire
Hezbollah’s Syrian Quagmire BY MATTHEW LEVITT ezbollah – Lebanon’s Party of God – is many things. It is one of the dominant political parties in Lebanon, as well as a social and religious movement catering first and fore- Hmost (though not exclusively) to Lebanon’s Shi’a community. Hezbollah is also Lebanon’s largest militia, the only one to maintain its weapons and rebrand its armed elements as an “Islamic resistance” in response to the terms of the Taif Accord, which ended Lebanon’s civil war and called for all militias to disarm.1 While the various wings of the group are intended to complement one another, the reality is often messier. In part, that has to do with compartmen- talization of the group’s covert activities. But it is also a factor of the group’s multiple identities – Lebanese, pan-Shi’a, pro-Iranian – and the group’s multiple and sometimes competing goals tied to these different identities. Hezbollah insists that it is Lebanese first, but in fact, it is an organization that always acts out of its self-interests above its purported Lebanese interests. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Hezbollah also has an “expansive global network” that “is sending money and operatives to carry out terrorist attacks around the world.”2 Over the past few years, a series of events has exposed some of Hezbollah’s covert and militant enterprises in the region and around the world, challenging the group’s standing at home and abroad. Hezbollah operatives have been indicted for the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri by the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in The Hague,3 arrested on charges of plotting attacks in Nigeria,4 and convicted on similar charges in Thailand and Cyprus.5 Hezbollah’s criminal enterprises, including drug running and money laundering from South America to Africa to the Middle East, have been targeted by law enforcement and regulatory agen- cies. -
ISIS Is About the Arab Past, Not the Future
Michael Van Dusen LECTURE SERIES ISIS is About the Arab Past, Not the Future RAMI KHOURI Former Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson Center; Senior Public Policy Fellow and former Director, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, American University of Beirut; and syndicated columnist, The Daily Star May 2015 Wilson Center THE WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR SCHOLARS, established by Congress in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a living national memorial to President Wilson. The Center’s mission is to commemorate the ideals and concerns of Woodrow Wilson by provid- ing a link between the worlds of ideas and policy, while fostering research, study, discussion, and collaboration among a broad spectrum of individuals concerned with policy and scholarship in national and international affairs. Supported by public and private funds, the Center is a nonpartisan institu- tion engaged in the study of national and world affairs. It establishes and maintains a neutral forum for free, open, and informed dialogue. Conclusions or opinions expressed in Center publications and programs are those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center staff, fellows, trustees, advisory groups, or any individuals or organizations that provide financial support to the Center. The Center is the publisher of The Wilson Quarterly and home of Woodrow Wilson Center Press, Dialogue radio and television. For more information about the Center’s activities and publications, please visit us on the web at www.wilsoncenter.org. BOARD OF TRUSTEES Thomas R. Nides, Chairman of the Board Sander R. Gerber, Vice Chairman Jane Harman, Director, President and CEO Public members: James H. -
Curriculum Vitae Garrett C. Shuffield
Curriculum Vitae Garrett C. Shuffield Education Ph.D., Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, The University of Texas at Austin (in progress; expected May 2026) • Supervisor: Dr. Karen Grumberg • Foci: modern Arabic literature, comparative literature, dystopia and disaffection M.A., Middle Eastern Studies, The University of Texas at Austin: May 2019. • Thesis: “A New Generation ‘Returns’: Fracture, Disorientation, and Tragedy in Lina Meruane’s Volverse Palestina and Rabai al-Madhoun’s Maṣa’̄ ir” (Supervisor: Dr. Karen Grumberg) • Study Abroad: The American University of Beirut, Summer 2017. M.G.P.S. (Master of Global Policy Studies), The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin: May 2019. B.A., magna cum laude, Religion and Arabic/Middle East Studies, Baylor University: May 2014. • Study Abroad: The American University in Cairo, Fall 2012. Academic Employment Assistant Instructor University of Texas Department of Middle Eastern Studies, August 2020-Present Supervisor: Dr. Olla Al-Shalchi Taught one six-credit section of ARA 601C, Beginning Arabic I. Teach one six-credit section of ARA 611C, Beginning Arabic II. This teaching appointment is part of the funding package for the PhD in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. Academic Assistant University of Texas Arabic Summer Institute, June 2019-August 2019; June 2020-August 2020 Supervisor: Dr. Cheng-Wei Lin Assisted in delivery of an intensive summer Arabic course at the beginning level. Taught approximately 5 hours per week (overall course was 20 contact hours per week). Created lesson plans, worksheets, evaluations, and supplementary materials for students. Held office hours and tutoring to help students meet individualized language goals. -
The Changing Geopolitical Dynamics of the Middle East and Their Impact on Israeli-Palestinian Peace Efforts
Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Honors Theses Lee Honors College 4-25-2018 The Changing Geopolitical Dynamics of the Middle East and their Impact on Israeli-Palestinian Peace Efforts Daniel Bucksbaum Western Michigan University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses Part of the Comparative Politics Commons, International Relations Commons, and the Other Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Bucksbaum, Daniel, "The Changing Geopolitical Dynamics of the Middle East and their Impact on Israeli- Palestinian Peace Efforts" (2018). Honors Theses. 3009. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3009 This Honors Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Lee Honors College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Changing Geopolitical Dynamics of the Middle East and their Impact on Israeli- Palestinian Peace Efforts By Daniel Bucksbaum A thesis submitted to the Lee Honors College Western Michigan University April 2018 Thesis Committee: Jim Butterfield, Ph.D., Chair Yuan-Kang Wang, Ph.D. Mustafa Mughazy, Ph.D. Bucksbaum 1 Table of Contents I. Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 II. Source Material……………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 III. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 IV. Historical Context for the Two-State Solution………………………………………………………...6 a. Deeply Rooted and Ideological Claims to the Land……………………………………………….…..7 b. Legacy of the Oslo Accords……………………………………………………………………………………….9 c. Israeli Narrative: Why the Two-State Solution is Unfeasible……………………………………19 d. Palestinian Narrative: Why the Two-State Solution has become unattainable………..22 e. Drop in Support for the Two-State Solution; Negotiations entirely…………………………27 f. -
State Fragility in Lebanon: Proximate Causes and Sources of Resilience
APRIL 2018 State fragility in Lebanon: Proximate causes and sources of resilience Bilal Malaeb This report is part of an initiative by the International Growth Centre’s Commission on State Fragility, Growth and Development. While every effort has been made to ensure this is an evidence-based report, limited data availability necessitated the use of media reports and other sources. The opinions in this report do not necessarily represent those of the IGC, the Commission, or the institutions to which I belong. Any errors remain my own. Bilal Malaeb University of Oxford and University of Southampton [email protected] About the commission The LSE-Oxford Commission on State Fragility, Growth and Development was launched in March 2017 to guide policy to address state fragility. The commission, established under the auspices of the International Growth Centre, is sponsored by LSE and University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. It is funded from the LSE KEI Fund and the British Academy’s Sustainable Development Programme through the Global Challenges Research Fund. Cover photo: Fogline Studio/Getty 2 State fragility in Lebanon: Proximate causes and sources of resilience Contents Introduction 4 State (il)legitimacy 9 Ineffective state with limited capacity 15 The private sector: A source of resilience 22 Security 26 Resilience 29 Conclusion and policy recommendations 30 References 36 3 State fragility in Lebanon: Proximate causes and sources of resilience Introduction Lebanon is an Arab-Mediterranean country that has endured a turbulent past and continues to suffer its consequences. The country enjoys a strong private sector and resilient communities. -
A. Introduction the United Nations Population Fund-UNFPA
A. Introduction The United Nations Population Fund-UNFPA is an international development agency that works on population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender. In the area of ageing populations, UNFPA supports public policy and promotes policy dialogue to respond to the challenges posed by the social, health, and economic consequences of ageing populations – and to meet the needs of older persons, with particular emphasis on the poor, especially women. The Academy1 was created to promote practical approaches to human rights and humanitarian law as well as to strengthen links between human rights organizations, practitioners, and educators worldwide. The Academy’s programs, partnerships, research and scholarly endeavors were designed and implemented to enhance the culture and prominence of human rights and humanitarian law around the world. The initiatives have included, inter alia, empowering training for scholars, practitioners, and students interested in the international human rights systems and laws, in particular via the Program of Advanced Studies on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. The Academy developed a number of research and scholarly projects to address the human rights concerns and challenges of vulnerable groups and the victims of human rights violations. The objective of this joint contribution is to provide input for the report by the UN Secretary General on the implementation of Resolution 65/182 on the situation of the rights of older persons in all regions. The content of the contribution provides for summarized findings on legislation, policies and programmes issued by states to protect, promote and fulfil the rights of older persons at national levels in five regions: Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Arab countries, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. -
An Analysis of Selected Online News Portals' Advertising Rates in The
An Analysis of Selected Online News Portals’ Advertising Rates in the Arab World 2015 Arab Advisors Group Media Strategic Research Service March 2015 Analyst: Hind Qweider This report has been delivered to Client as part of the subscription to the Arab Advisors Group Media Strategic Research Service to be used exclusively by its employees © Arab Advisors Group, licensed to Arab Advisors Group An Analysis of Selected Online Portals’ Advertising Rates in the Arab World 2015 ` Copyright notice: Copyright 2015 by Arab Advisors Group. All rights reserved. No material contained in this report may be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, selling, distribution or in any way transfer of any direct or indirect information from this report which is the property of Arab Advisors Group, removing, erasing or hiding from view any copyright, trademark, confidentiality notice, mark or legend appearing on Arab Advisors Group products or any form of output is strictly prohibited, and will be under legal responsibility. The information contained in this report has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but neither its completeness nor accuracy can be guaranteed. Opinions expressed are based on our interpretation of the available information, and are subject to change. Feedback: Our clients’ satisfaction is of our utmost concern. We welcome all feedback regarding our research and products. Please send us your notes on this report, what you found useful in it and future research directions that would help you in your business. Send feedback emails to: [email protected] © 2015 Arab Advisors Group © Arab Advisors Group, licensedReproduction to Arab Prohibited Advisors Group An Analysis of Selected Online Portals’ Advertising Rates in the Arab World 2015 ` Table of Contents Section I: Introduction ...................................................................................... -
Policy Notes March 2021
THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY MARCH 2021 POLICY NOTES NO. 100 In the Service of Ideology: Iran’s Religious and Socioeconomic Activities in Syria Oula A. Alrifai “Syria is the 35th province and a strategic province for Iran...If the enemy attacks and aims to capture both Syria and Khuzestan our priority would be Syria. Because if we hold on to Syria, we would be able to retake Khuzestan; yet if Syria were lost, we would not be able to keep even Tehran.” — Mehdi Taeb, commander, Basij Resistance Force, 2013* Taeb, 2013 ran’s policy toward Syria is aimed at providing strategic depth for the Pictured are the Sayyeda Tehran regime. Since its inception in 1979, the regime has coopted local Zainab shrine in Damascus, Syrian Shia religious infrastructure while also building its own. Through youth scouts, and a pro-Iran I proxy actors from Lebanon and Iraq based mainly around the shrine of gathering, at which the banner Sayyeda Zainab on the outskirts of Damascus, the Iranian regime has reads, “Sayyed Commander Khamenei: You are the leader of the Arab world.” *Quoted in Ashfon Ostovar, Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (2016). Khuzestan, in southwestern Iran, is the site of a decades-long separatist movement. OULA A. ALRIFAI IRAN’S RELIGIOUS AND SOCIOECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN SYRIA consolidated control over levers in various localities. against fellow Baathists in Damascus on November Beyond religious proselytization, these networks 13, 1970. At the time, Iran’s Shia clerics were in exile have provided education, healthcare, and social as Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was still in control services, among other things. -
GCC Summit in Doubt As Gulf Crisis Continues
October 22, 2017 9 News & Analysis Gulf GCC summit in doubt as Gulf crisis continues The Arab Weekly staff London uwait Emir Sheikh Sa- bah Ahmad al-Jaber al- Sabah’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia was an ef- fort to persuade King KSalman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to attend meetings in Kuwait to save the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from collapsing because of the crisis with Qatar, Gulf sources said. They said the Saudi position was clear that a summit couldn’t be convened given the current situa- tion. The kingdom, along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, severed ties with Qatar on June 5 over what they described as Doha’s interference in their coun- tries’ internal affairs and its sup- port for radical groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, designated as a terrorist organisation in all four countries. Kuwait, along with fellow GCC member Oman, has been neutral during the dispute and has been a mediator in the crisis but with little apparent success. The sources added that Riyadh doesn’t believe the GCC will col- lapse if the summit is postponed until the matter is resolved in Qa- tar, either through its acceptance of demands issued by the Arab quartet or a leadership change. Sheikh Sabah and King Salman discussed “regional developments and a number of issues of com- mon concern” during the October 16 meeting, Saudi Arabia’s official Common concerns. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R) welcomes Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah in news agency, SPA, reported. -
North Afr I CA M Iddle East
/ NorTh AFrica/ Middle eAsT observatory for the protection of human rights defenders annual report 2009 …439 / regIoNAl ANALYSIs NorTh AFrICA / mIDDLE eAsT observatory for the protection of human rights defenders annual report 2009 The entry into force in March 2008 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, binding the States of North Africa and the Middle East that ratified it, contrasts with the persistent human rights violations and the many obstacles to the defence of human rights noted in this region in 2008. This text, in spite of some weak points, includes provisions that may help to advance the recognition of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the region and in addition provides for the creation of an Arab Human Rights Committee responsible for monitoring applica- tion of the Charter and whose work was due to begin in the first half of 2009. Nonetheless, apart from the fact that, at the end of 2008, only 27 of the Member States of the League of Arab States had ratified 1 the Arab Charter on Human Rights , several provisions remain not consistent with international human rights standards and instruments. As an example, the Charter stipulates that national legislation may take precedence over the provisions of the text, notably for security reasons. This provision, which calls into question the principle of the legal superiority of international and regional instruments over national legislation, risks restricting implementation of the Charter, especially in countries where massive human rights violations under the pretext of national security are witnessed. Human rights defenders were not spared in the persistent and resur- gent internal conflicts in certain countries of the region: they were subjected to assassinations (Iraq), arbitrary detentions (Yemen) and obstacles to their freedom of movement (Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories) throughout the year in these countries. -
In the Eye of the Storm? (In)Stability in Western Iraqi Kurdistan
In the eye of the storm? (In)stability in Western Iraqi Kurdistan CRU Report Erwin van Veen al-Hamzeh al-Shadeedi In the eye of the storm? (In)stability in Western Iraqi Kurdistan Erwin van Veen al-Hamzeh al-Shadeedi CRU Report July 2018 July 2018 © Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’. Cover photo: Pre-referendum, pro-Kurdistan, pro-independence rally in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq © Wikipedia/Own work Unauthorized use of any materials violates copyright, trademark and / or other laws. Should a user download material from the website or any other source related to the Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’, or the Clingendael Institute, for personal or non-commercial use, the user must retain all copyright, trademark or other similar notices contained in the original material or on any copies of this material. Material on the website of the Clingendael Institute may be reproduced or publicly displayed, distributed or used for any public and non-commercial purposes, but only by mentioning the Clingendael Institute as its source. Permission is required to use the logo of the Clingendael Institute. This can be obtained by contacting the Communication desk of the Clingendael Institute ([email protected]). The following web link activities are prohibited by the Clingendael Institute and may present trademark and copyright infringement issues: links that involve unauthorized use of our logo, framing, inline links, or metatags, as well as hyperlinks or a form of link disguising the URL. About the authors Erwin van Veen is a senior research fellow with Clingendael’s Conflict Research Unit. A political scientist by training, Erwin applies this lens to the analysis of relations between political order, security and justice in conflict-prone environments. -
Qatar: the Limits of Nouveau Riche Diplomacy
Qatar: The Limits of Nouveau Riche Diplomacy Gil Feiler and Hayim Zeev Ramat Gan 5290002 Israel Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 131 www.besacenter.org THE BEGIN-SADAT CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 131 Qatar: The Limits of Nouveau Riche Diplomacy Gil Feiler and Hayim Zeev Qatar: The Limits of Nouveau Riche Diplomacy Gil Feiler and Hayim Zeev © The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan 5290002 Israel Tel. 972-3-5318959 Fax. 972-3-5359195 [email protected] www.besacenter.org ISSN 0793-1042 April 2017 Cover image: Doha skyline by Francisco Anzola, Flickr Creative Commons The Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies is an independent, non-partisan think tank conducting policy-relevant research on Middle Eastern and global strategic affairs, particularly as they relate to the national security and foreign policy of Israel and regional peace and stability. It is named in memory of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, whose efforts in pursuing peace lay the cornerstone for conflict resolution in the Middle East. Mideast Security and Policy Studies serve as a forum for publication or re-publication of research conducted by BESA associates. Publication of a work by BESA signifies that it is deemed worthy of public consideration but does not imply endorsement of the author’s views or conclusions. Colloquia on Strategy and Diplomacy summarize the papers delivered at conferences and seminars held by the Center for the academic, military, official and general publics. In sponsoring these discussions, the BESA Center aims to stimulate public debate on, and consideration of, contending approaches to problems of peace and war in the Middle East.