Middle East Notes and Comment: Toward Sustainable States

Toward Sustainable States

The Middle East is filled with examples of how neither the United States nor its allies are very good at nation-building. The colonial period in the nineteenth century, the mandate period in the first half of the twentieth century, and Cold War-infused development aid in the second half of the twentieth century all preceded U.S. efforts to rebuild Iraq after U.S. troops deposed Saddam Hussein in 2003. While individual projects were successful, more than a century of foreign engagement has left the region lagging much of the world in human and economic development and governmental resilience, and many societies are divided by ethnic and sectarian enmity.

At one extreme, some suggest that the Middle East’s challenges are a consequence of Western meddling, which has left the region weakened and divided. At the other are those who argue that the Middle East’s problems are a consequence of ancient hatreds and oppressive customs that are rooted in the region’s history and which the West has been unable to squelch. The truth is more complicated and lies somewhere in between.

Read Jon Alterman's commentary on the CSIS website.

From the Middle East Program 

New Analysis 

Natasha Hall and Will Todman wrote a Critical Questions on the United Nations Security Council's renewal of UN agencies' mandate to use the last cross-border access point in Syria. They broke down the implications of the vote, what concessions were made, and who came out the biggest winner.

On July 7, 2021, the Middle East Program hosted Charles Petrie, former UN Assistant Secretary-General; Zaher Sahloul, the co-founder and president of MedGlobal; and Natasha Hall for a discussion on the humanitarian aid in Syria, the debate over access in the United Nations Security Council, and implications from Syria for the future of humanitarian aid in complex environments.

You can watch the event recording here, or read a transcript of the panel discussion here.  

Babel: Translating the Middle East 

In the most recent episode of Babel, Jon spoke with Karim Sadjadpour about tipping points in Iran and the future of Iran's regime. 

In another episode, Jon spoke with German diplomat Carsten Wieland about the politicization of humanitarian aid in Syria and its implications for international law. 

We also released a new mezze episode on innovative wastewater treatment in Jordan, adapted from our latest report, "Sustainable States: Environment, Governance, and the Future of the Middle East." 

In the News 

Natasha spoke with the Wall Street Journal about the UN cross-border revolution. "The Russians want resources and they want legitimacy and they want resources for their ally in Damascus," she said, so "they could still play the spoiler when it comes to the outcome in the next few months." (07/09/21) <

Natasha's panel discussion with Dr. Zaher Sahloul and Charles Petrie was featured in an article by Middle East Eye. (07/07/21) 

Other 

Jon sat down with William Law and the Arab Digest podcast to discuss how Biden is doing in the Middle East and where the future of U.S. interests in the region lie.

Natasha joined the AUB Issam Fares Institute on July 13 for a panel discussion about the implications of Bashar al-Assad's re-election in Syria and what future U.S. policy in the country could look like.

Join our team! We are seeking highly motivated candidates for a paid, in-person internship for Fall 2021. Apply here.