Below, please find the latest articles to have appeared in print and electronic media about CSIS and its experts. For your reference, there is also a link to archived media coverage of CSIS.
Anthony Cordesman, the CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, and Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, were quoted by the Associated Press, "Bush in Saudi Arabia to discuss oil."
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - President Bush, on a one-day visit to Saudi Arabia, is taking a second stab on Friday at getting the oil-rich nation to increase production and drive down the soaring gasoline prices hurting U.S. consumers.Anthony Cordesman, a security analyst for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Abdullah may produce something "simply because it's good manners," but nothing that would have a significant effect."U.S. influence over OPEC and Gulf oil production is diminished," he said. "It's not clear what the incentive is to Saudi Arabia. We can't deliver on (Mideast) peace. We can't deliver on arms transfers. We can't deliver on the Iraq that Saudi Arabia wants. We are raising problems in terms of Iran. And the reality is the market isn't being driven by us; it's being driven by China, by India, by rising Asian demand."Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS' Middle East program, said the Saudis, with a public that doesn't like Bush and a ruling monarchy with growing interests elsewhere, are not likely "to put themselves out to help this president.""The Saudis don't have an alternative to keeping the U.S. in its corner, but their reliance on the United States, their confidence in the United States is extremely shaken," Alterman said.Read more
May 16
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, had a commentary published in World Politics Review, "Bush Administration Middle East Policy: What Went Wrong."
It has become impossible to credibly argue that the Bush Administration's Middle East policies have advanced the national interests of the United States. After shifting enormous resources toward addressing the problems of the region following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and after cautioning patience through the "birth pangs of democracy," the results have become clear. On every issue that the administration has prioritized -- promoting Arab-Israeli peace, liberating Lebanon from Syrian and Iranian influence, democratizing Egypt, stabilizing Iraq, and containing Iran -- America's foes have grown stronger and its allies have grown weaker. Even more troublingly, virtually all of these problems are worsening as the administration prepares to leave office.Read more
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Bush Tempers Upbeat Optimism About Mideast Peace."
WASHINGTON—When President Bush began his first energized pursuit of an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord just over five months ago, confidence was his constant companion. "I'm optimistic," he said over and over about the prospects for ending one of the world's longest-running disputes within little more than a year.The approach is classic Bush, for whom a favorite story is how the choice of an Oval Office rug with a sunburst pattern says "optimistic person comes to work" to visitors. Truth be told, it's not so uncommon for most politicians and diplomats, said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "The president is optimistic because he thinks his job is to be optimistic," he said.Read more
May 13
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Reuters, "Bush Heads Back to Mideast Amid Fading Peace Hopes."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush heads back to the Middle East on Tuesday facing broad skepticism over his chances of securing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before he leaves office in less than nine months."It's hard to remember a less auspicious time to pursue Arab-Israeli peacemaking than right now," said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "The politics on the ground are absolutely miserable."Read more
May 13
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal, "In Mideast, Small Signs of Hope."
As a result, little diplomatic progress is expected from Mr. Bush's visit to Israel, his second this year. In Jerusalem, he will spend much of his time underscoring his administration's support for Israel. Notably, no three-way meetings between top U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials are expected during Mr. Bush's trip. He also will travel to Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to make another plea for higher oil production, and to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. "The Bush administration wants to rush to diplomacy, but the politics for successful diplomacy are missing," said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Read the article
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Bush Has Missed Targets on Middle East Peace."
WASHINGTON - President Bush has a faulty calendar and questionable optimism when it comes to the Middle East. By his original reckoning, an elusive peace should have happened three years ago and a democratic Palestinian state should now be living in harmony with longtime enemy Israel. "It's hard to remember a less auspicious time to pursue Arab-Israeli peacemaking than right now," said Jonathan Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "The politics on the ground are absolutely miserable. U.S. power and influence are at a low ebb in the region."Read more
May 12
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Agence France Press, "Bush Prepares to Press Saudis on Skyrocketing Price of Oil."
As he travels to the Middle East this week, President George W. Bush is expected to press US ally Saudi Arabia to do more to contain runaway oil prices which threaten to depress both the US and world economies. Bush departs Tuesday on his Mideast travels, with a return set for May 18. [...]"There is suddenly a need to hedge against US incompetence. That changes the whole way these meetings go, and it changes what happens when the US president says I really need you to do this," Alterman said.Read the article
May 11
Anthony Cordesman, the CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, and Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, were quoted by McClatchy News Service, "Bush's Influence in Mideast Wanes."
With a new scandal enveloping the Israeli prime minister and Hezbollah militants flexing their muscle in Lebanon, President Bush will confront even longer odds for success when he travels to the Middle East this week to work on two elusive objectives_peace and lower oil prices. Bush, arriving in Israel on Wednesday to join in the nation's 60th anniversary celebrations, still hopes for an agreement by year's end between the Israelis and Palestinians over the contours of a new Palestinian state. But calls over the weekend for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign amid allegations of bribery have further undermined hopes for successful peace talks. [...] "It's hard to remember a less auspicious time to pursue Arab-Israeli peacemaking than right now," said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. [...] Anthony Cordesman, an expert in energy and military strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, "The fact is that, is this going to change the agreements being reached" by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries? "It's very, very difficult to see how."Read the article
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by McClatchy News Service, "Another Step Backward in Mideast."
Iranian-backed Hezbollah's seizure Friday of large swaths of Beirut from the U.S.-backed Lebanese government is the latest in a string of setbacks to U.S. allies in the Middle East and the latest bad news for President Bush on the eve of his trip next week to a region that he set out to remake five years ago. [. . .]"In a test of strength against the government, Hezbollah came out swiftly on top," said Jon Alterman, the director of the Middle East program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It is a balance of power that is much less favorable to the allies of the United States."Read More
May 10
Anthony Cordesman, the CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Insurgent Leader was Not Captured, US Military Says."
The U.S. military said Iraqi authorities mistakenly announced Thursday that the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, had been captured in the northern city of Mosul. American officials said a man who was arrested has a name similar to al-Masri's. [ . . .] "Iraqi officials are dealing with a developing chain of command that often leaps to conclusions and reports success before it occurs, often under pressure from the media," said Anthony Cordesman, a security analyst for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read More
May 10
Anthony Cordesman, the CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, and Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, were quoted by the New York Times, "As Bush Term Wanes, Mideast Peace Appears Elusive as Ever."
The 2008 race for the White House is casting a long shadow over President Bush. So long, in fact, that it may extend all the way to the Middle East. When Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed themselves to peace talks after meeting in Annapolis, Md., last November, Mr. Bush had hopes of ending his presidency on a foreign policy high note, with a deal for the contours of a Palestinian state. But with Mr. Bush headed to the region this week for the second time in five months, peace seems as elusive as ever — and some are looking to his successor. “In some ways, this is the roadshow cast of ‘Waiting for Godot,’ ” said Anthony H. Cordesman, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He said the trip would “basically set a marker while everybody waits for the next president,” while other analysts predicted the most Mr. Bush could accomplish would be to hand over a working peace process to his successor. The five-day trip, which will begin Tuesday, will revolve around the 60th anniversary of Israel’s founding, but will also take Mr. Bush to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. For the White House, the timing is hardly ideal. [...] “It’s hard to remember a less auspicious time to pursue Arab-Israeli peacemaking than right now,” Mr. Alterman said. “The politics on the ground are absolutely miserable. U.S. power and influence are at low ebb in the region. The Bush administration is beset by challenges — the combination of a faltering economy, persistent difficulties in Iraq and a growing threat from Iran — all at a time that the president’s popularity is at a historical low, and his administration is settling more and more into lame duck status.”Read the article
May 9
Haim Malka, deputy director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Reuters, "Israeli Bribery Scandal Clouds Bush Visit."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When President George W. Bush accepted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's invitation to Israel's 60th birthday celebration, there was little reason to think his visit would do much to advance Middle East peace prospects."It's highly unlikely Bush will get any real movement," said Haim Malka, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The constraints are numerous ... and Olmert's troubles add new complications."Read more
May 9
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Hezbollah Fighters Sweep Over Much of Beirut's Muslim Sector."
Unchallenged by Lebanon's army, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah routed Sunnis loyal to the U.S.-allied government and seized control of large swaths of Beirut's Muslim sector Friday in a telling demonstration of its military prowess. [ . . .] "The government tried to show force by shutting down Hezbollah. Hezbollah showed force by pushing back the government," said Jon Alterman, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Middle East Program in Washington.Read More
May 8
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Baltimore Sun, "Israeli Anniversary, Bush Spent 'Too Little.'"
Tonight, on the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel, Vice President Dick Cheney reiterated the long-standing premise of U.S. policy: Israel has no better friend than the United States. Yet, as President Bush prepares to depart Tuesday for a five-day tour of Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the promise of peace in the region is no nearer than it was when Bush convened a summit of Israeli and Arab leaders in Annapolis in November and all agreed that they want to see an agreement on the contours of a new Palestinian state by the end of Bush's term. [...] "I think the new president will feel that this president spent too little energy through his term,'' says Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "and that there is a need for a higher level and more sustained U.S. engagement in bringing this conflict to some sort of resolution.''Read the article
May 4
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Washington Post, "Analysts Divided on Clinton's Arab Defense Plan."
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has ratcheted up her rhetoric against Iran, pledging recently to extend U.S. nuclear protection to friendly Arab nations against Iran's nuclear ambitions and asserting that if Tehran considers attacking Israel, "we would be able to totally obliterate them." The Iranian government lashed out last week in response, with an Iranian diplomat at the United Nations condemning Clinton's statement as "provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible." In a letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Iran's deputy U.N. ambassador, Mehdi Danesh-Yazdi, also referred to Clinton's threat as a "flagrant violation" of the U.N. Charter. Clinton's campaign dismissed the letter. Jon B. Alterman, a Middle East specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, called Clinton's proposal "a lose-lose-lose proposition." Alterman, who is not affiliated with any candidate, said: "I don't think it changes Iranian thinking. I don't think it changes Arab thinking. And it obligates the United States and puts U.S. decision making in a corner without any appreciable benefit." Read the article
May 1
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, appeared on CNN's Situation Room, "Iran Calls Clinton's Comments 'Provocative' and 'Irresponsible.'"
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And to our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Happening now, a president dragged down by war -- five years after that so-called "Mission Accomplished" speech, President Bush faces historic disapproval. Disapproval of a different kind for Hillary Clinton. We're going to show you what's behind Iranian outrage at her and a complaint that's actually been leveled over at the United Nations against her.[...] JON ALTERMAN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: I don't think anybody is sure how to deal with Iran. And the fact is, Iran has a presidential election of its own coming up in June 2009. And that may change the tone.Read the transcript
April 25
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Los Angeles Times, "Bush Wants a Deal on Palestinian State By End of Term."
WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Thursday that he wanted to lock in the outlines of a Palestinian state before he left office, even as Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, said the road was "paved with obstacles." "Mahmoud Abbas has to not only convince the Palestinians he can get things from the Israelis and the Americans, but that he can get more than any other Palestinian leader. I don't think he has made that case," said Jon B. Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. Alterman also is a former member of the State Department policy planning staff.Read more
April 25
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the New York Times, "Bush Meets Abbas, but Criticizes Plans for Trip."
WASHINGTON — As he prepares for his second trip this year to the Middle East, President Bush is facing mounting criticism from some Palestinians who are upset that he will go to Israel for its 60th birthday celebration without marking the flip side of that event: the flight of Palestinians from their homes.Jon Alterman, an expert on the Middle East at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said, “You’re certainly adding insult to injury when you travel to Israel, and the Palestinians have to travel to Egypt to see you.”Read more
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Reuters, "Iraq and U.S. to Urge Arabs to Boost Ties with Baghdad."
Iraq and the United States will press Arab nations to strengthen ties with the Baghdad government at a meeting in Kuwait on Tuesday at a time when Iran's influence in the war-racked country is growing. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who will attend the meeting of Iraq's neighbors, said last week she wants Arab states to shield Iraq from Iran's "nefarious influences." [...] Clashes have erupted again with the Mehdi Army militia of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, but the Iranian intervention showed Tehran's clout in Iraq, said Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington thinktank. "It is not coincidental that the Iranian president travelled to Iraq in a visit that was announced long in advance or that the Iranians were deeply involved in the ceasefire with the Mehdi Army," Alterman said. Read the article
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Congressional Quarterly, "Surrogates to Set Tone on War Debate."
The Senate’s three presidential candidates will capture much of the attention at Tuesday’s Iraq hearings, but Democrats will try to frame the latest debate over the war before Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama even have the chance to speak.Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Clinton and Obama are likely to strike different tones. “I think that the challenge is probably toughest for Sen. Obama, who is perceived as the candidate who would push for the quickest withdrawal, but also the candidate with the least direct foreign policy experience,” Alterman said. “Pleasing his constituencies and being critical, but not seeming rash or naïve, is a tough needle to thread.”Read more
March 30
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Conflict Between Government, al-Sadr Show the Realities of Iraq."
The Iraqi capital locked down by curfew. U.S. diplomats holed up their workplaces, fearing rocket attacks. Nearly every major southern city racked by turmoil. Hundreds killed in less than a week. A declaration Sunday by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to pull his Mahdi Army fighters off the streets may help bring an end to the wave of violence that swept Baghdad and Shiite areas after the government launched a crackdown against militias in Basra. [...] "Our (the U.S.) preference is for many voices to be reflected in whatever Iraqi government emerges from five years of conflict," Alterman said. But, "al-Maliki is playing a long-term game for all the marbles."Read the article
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal, "Small Steps to Buy Time."
Officially, Vice President Dick Cheney's trip through the Middle East this past week was aimed at advancing the goals of defeating terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan and spreading peace through democracy. But the White House had a more pragmatic goal in mind as well: making enough progress in the Mideast so that the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns can continue, regardless whether a Democrat or a Republican succeeds Mr. Bush as president . . . Read More (Subscription Required)
March 22
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal, “Small Steps to Buy Time."
Officially, Vice President Dick Cheney's trip through the Middle East this past week was aimed at advancing the goals of defeating terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan and spreading peace through democracy. But the White House had a more pragmatic goal in mind as well: making enough progress in the Mideast so that the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns can continue, regardless whether a Democrat or a Republican succeeds Mr. Bush as president. Mr. Cheney's gruff demeanor hasn't always helped him as a public salesman for the administration's vision of democracy and justice in the Middle East. But behind ... Read the article
March 20
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Bush Defiantly Defends War in Iraq."
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush defiantly defended the Iraq war Wednesday as U.S. troops began a sixth year of combat in the long and costly conflict that has dominated his presidency. Bush conceded the war has been harder and more expensive than anticipated but insisted it has all been necessary to keep Americans safe. "This isn't the war we signed up for," said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Back in 2003, he said, Americans expected a quick, decisive defeat of Saddam and no lingering presence. "What we are seeing is a much more difficult, muddled, nuanced presence at a much higher cost and for a longer time than anyone bargained for," he said. Read the article
March 20
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by McClatchy Newspapers, "The Costly Iraq War."
WASHINGTON — President Bush gave a rousing defense of the Iraq war on its fifth anniversary Wednesday, claiming “the successes we are seeing in Iraq are undeniable.” But Democrats and war protesters made it clear they’ll continue to call the conflict a disaster.“This isn’t the war we signed up for,” said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Back in 2003, he said, Americans expected a quick, decisive defeat of Saddam and no lingering presence. “What we are seeing is a much more difficult, muddled, nuanced presence at a much higher cost and for a longer time than anyone bargained for,” he said.Read the article
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "U.S. to Hit Milestone in Iraq."
Sometime soon, the U.S. military will suffer its 4,000th death of the war in Iraq. When the 1,000th American died in September 2004, the insurgency was just gaining steam. The 2,000th death came as Iraq held its first elections in decades, in October 2005. The U.S. announced its 3,000th loss on the last day of 2006, at the end of a year rocked by sectarian violence. [. . .] "It's still a war that hasn't involved a draft or an increase in taxes," said Jon Alterman, who heads the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "This is a war that most Americans continue to feel they don't have to make sacrifices for." Read More
March 16
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Reuters, "Cheney to Mideast with 'Rich Agenda' on Oil, Peace."
Vice President Dick Cheney left on Sunday for the Middle East to raise concerns about high oil prices, push Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and seek support for Iraq, where war began five years ago this week. [. . .] "The mood has deteriorated incredibly in the last six weeks since the president was there," Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said. "From the outside it's very hard to see that Secretary Rice was able to even arrest the slide let alone get things moving forward. My guess is the vice president will be able to arrest the slide if not necessarily put things on track," he said. Read More
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Ahmadinejad’s Historic Iraq Visit."
Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the visit sends a "clear message to Iraqis that the Iranian influence in the country is significant and enduring." But at the same time, "he doesn't want to threaten the Iraqis. He doesn't want to threaten Gulf states who fear that Iraq will be an Iranian satellite. He has a thin line to walk," he said.Read the article
February 29
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Reuters, "U.S. Eyes Iranian President’s Visit to Iraq."
Unlike President George W. Bush's fleeting visits to Iraq, Iran's president is set to go to Baghdad this weekend amid much fanfare on a trip seen by some experts as undermining U.S. influence in the region. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit comes after an invitation from the Iraqi government and will be the first by an Iranian president to Baghdad since 1979. [...] "That will create more problems with the neighbors. He will want to show his strength but not be seen as threatening them," said Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.Read the article
February 14
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Syria May Pay Price for Killing."
President Bashar Assad boasts that Damascus is "the capital of resistance," a claim borne out by the presence here of Hamas leaders and a host of other radical Palestinian groups. But the killing of Imad Mughniyeh, one of America's most-wanted fugitives, in the Syrian capital shows how costly the regime's traditional hospitality toward Arab hard-liners can be. "The Syrian security agencies have a lot of explaining to do as to how a hit like this could be carried out in a city that's remarkably secure," said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read the article
January 30
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "New French Base Shows Gulf States Want to Broaden Contacts Beyond U.S."
The promise of a new French base in the United Arab Emirates is the latest sign that Arab Gulf countries are expanding their commercial and military contacts to bolster security without appearing too dependent on the United States. President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that France next year will become the only Western country other than the U.S. to have a permanent defense facility in the Gulf. "The UAE gets the advantage of playing the field a bit, not because it wants to walk away from the U.S. relationship but because this gives them leverage over both the French and Americans to get what they want," Mideast analyst Jon Alterman said.Read the article
January 29
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Reuters, "Analysis: Bush Understates Challenges in Iraq, Afghanistan."
U.S. President George W. Bush offered relatively upbeat assessments of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that failed to address how hard it may be for his successor to stabilize them, analysts said. . . "What must be bittersweet for him is that he had hoped to be handing off successes to the next president, but all the things he cares about on the foreign policy front are going to be profound challenges for his successor," said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the CSIS think tank. Read More
January 20
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Gulf States Broaden Contacts Beyond U.S."
The promise of a new French base in the United Arab Emirates is the latest sign that Arab Gulf countries are expanding their commercial and military contacts to bolster security without appearing too dependent on the United States. . . "The UAE gets the advantage of playing the field a bit, not because it wants to walk away from the U.S. relationship but because this gives them leverage over both the French and Americans to get what they want," Mideast analyst Jon Alterman said. Read the Article
January 16
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, and Anthony Cordesman, the CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, were quoted by the Washington Times, "We Are Coming Home."
[...]Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the "most interesting part of the trip was the down time he scheduled with regional leaders." "Relaxing at home, he's in constant motion as he clears brush and rides mountain bikes, but in the Gulf he settled into leisurely meals and falcon hunting as he sought to build relationships with rulers. His past inclination was to refer to them as "tyrants," but now he referred to them as "leaders," Mr. Alterman said.[...] Mr. Alterman's CSIS colleague, Anthony Cordesman, said that while few believe that an Israeli-Palestinian peace is possible in 2008, the president took on the issue that does most to build Arab anger at the U.S., showed the U.S. would reach out to the Palestinians, and established a legacy for continuing negotiations by the next administration." "He also showed how important the U.S. feels the region is in an area where personal contact at the highest levels is absolutely critical to good relations. He did not abandon 'democratization,' because he did focus focusing on good security and economic relations and made it clear that 'democratization' did not mean 'regime change,'" Mr. Cordesman said.Read the article
January 16
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Reuters, "Analysis: U.S. To Stay Course on Iran Policy."
Tehran and Washington opened 2008 with a torrent of rhetoric but U.S. officials and Iran experts say there is little chance of a switch in tactics away from sanctions toward incentives or military action. President George W. Bush has just a year left in office and three senior U.S. officials said there were no immediate moves to tweak U.S. strategy, which aims to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. "This president (Bush) does not believe that showing them a little bit more love will break the logjam," said Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think-tank.Read the article
January 14
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, appeared on CNN's The Situation Room, "Bush Visits Saudi Arabia."
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: To our viewers, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM. Happening now, President Bush makes his first visit to Saudi Arabia and brings a pricey gift — a promise to sell $20 billion in very high tech weaponry. Is that a message to Iran? JON ALTERMAN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: People look at the Saudis and they see what the Saudis are doing in terms of supporting groups and dialoguing and supporting an Islamization, and, in some cases, radicalization through the Arab world, through Muslim communities, and say why would we want to support that government? Read the transcript
January 10
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Washington Times, "Bush Hopes for Mideast Peace in '08."
President Bush arrived in Israel yesterday to an enthusiastic welcome and said he was optimistic that a peace agreement could be reached this year. Rocket attacks by Palestinian terrorists, which Israel insists must stop before any agreement can be reached, continued. "The underlying problem ... is that these sides are far apart and neither one has the standing in its own society to give the other side what they want," said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read the article
January 10
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Bush Offers Peacemaking Checklist."
President Bush called for a halt to Israel's military occupation of land the Palestinians claim for a state and an end to the terrorist threat over the Jewish homeland, spelling out the U.S. bottom line Thursday for ending the long and bloody Mideast conflict. "Now is the time to make difficult choices," Bush said. An agreement will require "painful concessions" by both sides, Bush said, but he predicted one could be reached within a year, putting himself more firmly on the line than ever for an achievement considered unlikely by many experts. [...] In Washington, Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Bush's statement was "more detailed than he has been so far about the shape of a negotiated solution, but there is a lot of opposition on both sides even to his vague principles." He said Bush didn't spell out enough specifics to answer critics on either side. Read the article
January 9
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Bush Hopes to Revive Mideast 'Freedom Agenda.'"
For years, President Bush has eagerly waved a flag for democracy in the Mideast from afar. Now he steps gingerly into the troubled region where what he calls his "freedom agenda" is stalled. Bush proclaimed in his second inaugural address that the United States would work for democratic reform in every nation and culture "with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world." Jon Alterman, a Mideast expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that if there was a surprise in store during the trip, he expected it would be a stop in Lebanon, where the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora is locked in a political standoff with the pro-Syria opposition. "Clearly a visit to Lebanon would carry with it immense security concerns," Alterman said, ". . . but I find it hard to imagine that the president will be so close and not seek to do something that will strengthen the hand of Prime Minister Saniora and his allies."Read the article
January 8
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, and Anthony Cordesman, the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, appeared on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, "President Bush Begins Mideast Trip."
President Bush sets off Tuesday on an eight-day swing through the Middle East. He's going to visit key Gulf allies to talk about what he sees as a rising Iranian threat, despite a recent intelligence report that says Iran halted a nuclear weapons program. The president is also going to try to nudge Israelis and Palestinians toward peace. [...] "A friend who used to work in the White House told me this president doesn't like to tee things up; he's a closer. He likes to close deals. And this deal is not ready to be closed," Alterman says. [...] "People are going to be polite. They will be accommodating in some ways, but they are well aware that this is not only an election year. It is an election year from an administration that really has no heir that can really speak for the future or run for the future," Cordesman says.Read the article and listen to the interview
January 8
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by Cox Newspapers, "Iran Focus of Bush Trip."
WASHINGTON -- President Bush leaves today for an ambitious Middle East trip, hoping to rally oil-rich Gulf states around his efforts to isolate Iran."We need a lot more coordination on Iran with the Gulf states than I think we have," said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The Gulf states can seriously undermine U.S. efforts to isolate Iran." Read the article
January 8
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by CBSNews.com, "Bush's Last-Chance Trip to the Middle East."
Why not go to the Middle East now? Will there be a better time in the coming year? Perhaps, but probably not. And certainly not if President George W. Bush doesn’t show some progress on this trip. So, now very well may be the best time to go to the region which has every indication of dominating Mr. Bush’s last year in office. Keeping the forward movement gained last November at Annapolis between Israelis and Palestinians will dominate the first few days of the president's 8-day trip. The parties have been meeting feverishly in recent days so they can have something positive to show when the president has his meetings in Israel and the West Bank. It’s typical of the diplomacy between the two sides that if they are able to agree on next steps it will likely happen only at the last minute, just before Air Force One lands. “President Bush is no longer trying to transform the Middle East from afar; he’s trying to manage it in incremental ways by arm-twisting and jawboning leaders in intimate, private sessions,” says Jon Alterman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Read the article
January 7
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, and Anthony Cordesman, the CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, were quoted by the Chicago Tribune, "Doubt as Bush set to visit Mideast."
WASHINGTON - With an eight-day tour of the Middle East starting this week, President Bush hopes to spur negotiations among Israeli and Palestinian leaders vowing to make peace and lay the groundwork for two independent states by year's end.Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, contends that Bush is not inclined to engage in the level of detail required. "This president doesn't like to tee things up. He's a closer. He likes to close deals," Alterman said. "And this deal is not ready to be closed. It requires a lot of setting up and a lot of tedious work, exactly the kind of work this president thinks isn't his job and doesn't particularly enjoy.""It's just a simple fact of life," said Anthony Cordesman, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "You can't, as president, leave a legacy in the form of an agenda for the next president. The only legacy you can leave is what you actually accomplished while you were in office. And at this point in time, with effectively a year to go, your legacy is what you've done, not what you would like to do."Read the article
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal, "Bush May Add Lebanon, Iraq To Stops on Trip."
President Bush takes off Tuesday on a much-anticipated trip to Israel, the Persian Gulf states and Egypt. Or is it Lebanon and Iraq? With some details of his mission still conspicuously under wraps, speculation is growing in Washington that Mr. Bush's itinerary might include one or more unscheduled stops along the way. The official nine-day itinerary begins in Israel on Wednesday and continues with the Palestinian stronghold of Ramallah in the West Bank; Kuwait; Bahrain; the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi; Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. It is Mr. Bush's first trip as president to Israel or Saudi ... Read the article
January 5
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by McClatchy Newspapers, "Bush Presses On to Mideast Amid Change."
President Bush, who once had grand ambitions to transform the Middle East through democratic reform, sets off on his first extended presidential visit to the region tomorrow with his sights lowered and his ability to influence events fading fast. . ."The Bush administration has been mugged by reality. After vowing to transform the Middle East, the administration is submitting to it," said Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a center-right policy organization in Washington. Read More
January 3
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal, "Bush Picks Abu Dhabi for Speech To Spur Mideast Agenda."
President Bush plans to deliver the centerpiece speech of his Mideast trip this month in Abu Dhabi, White House officials said, highlighting the rapid economic growth and expanding opportunities of some Persian Gulf states. The speech scheduled for Jan. 13 is likely to hold up Persian Gulf States like Abu Dhabi, the largest of the United Arab Emirates, as models for the broader Arab world. By focusing attention on examples such as the UAE, the White House apparently hopes to encourage other Arab countries such as Saudi [...] Read the article
January 3
Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, and Anthony Cordesman, the CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, were quoted by the Associated Press, "White House Downplays Bush Mideast Trip."
President Bush's aides all but ruled out a three-way meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders during his upcoming Mideast visit and dampened hopes that the president's high-profile travels would make tangible progress toward peace. "Just his going there is going to advance the prospects," Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, said Thursday. "We're not looking for headline announcements." Bush departs Tuesday on an eight-day trip that will take him to at least six Mideast nations and the Palestinian territories _ his first visit as president to each locale on his itinerary except Egypt. It comes as Bush stages his most aggressive personal involvement to date in the tricky, violent and intractable Israeli-Palestinian dispute. [...] "People are going to be polite. They will be accommodating in some ways. But they are well aware that this is not only an election year, it is an election year from an administration that really has no heir that can really speak for the future or run for the future," said Anthony Cordesman, an analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. [...] "There will be small successes along the way," Alterman said. "But all of the Middle East's problems are far too immense, complex and diverse to be solved on this trip." Read the article
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