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From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Steven A. Cook examines developments in the Middle East and their resonance in Washington.

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An Egyptian pigeon fancier waves on his pigeons with a flag of Al Ahly Sport Club to guide them as the Great Pyramids are seen during sunset in Cairo, Egypt November 19, 2018.
An Egyptian pigeon fancier waves on his pigeons with a flag of Al Ahly Sport Club to guide them as the Great Pyramids are seen during sunset in Cairo, Egypt November 19, 2018. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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مع السلامة, Güle, güle, להתראות, Farewell

by Steven A. Cook July 22, 2019

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  So it is with From the Potomac to the Euphrates.  It has been a lot of fun during the last nine years, spanning I have lost count of how many posts, and four research associates who took great care to nurture this blog. If you would like to continue receiving my work, please contact Katharine Poppe ([email protected]) with your email address and we will add you to my email distribution list. Many thanks for reading…. Cheers, Steven Read More

Featured

Arab Spring

False Dawn
A sweeping narrative account of the last five years in the Middle East and a timely argument of how and why the Arab uprisings failed.

Book by Steven A. Cook March 1, 2019 Middle East Program

Egypt

The Tragic Tale of Egypt’s Decline: Is It Also the Story of America’s Future?
Once a diverse, cosmopolitan society, Egypt has descended into corruption, inequality, and bigotry. Sound familiar?

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook August 28, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Israel

Is Zionism "Creepy"? The Question at the Heart of a Social-Media Controversy Deserves an Answer
A Palestinian-American activist's 2012 tweet unleashes a firestorm. But Zionism, good or bad, is not that weird.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook August 14, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Qatar

The Other Gulf Conflict: How the Qatar Crisis Is Playing Out in D.C. Back Rooms
Well-fed lobbyists and think tank experts do battle over catered lunches—but it's not as sleazy as it sounds.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook July 18, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Turkey

First, They Came for the Gulenists
Erdogan isn’t the root of Turkey’s troubles. It’s a deep-seated cycle of repression and revenge—with no end in sight.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook July 14, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Turkey

The Massive Protest Putting Turkey's Erdogan on the Defensive
The March on Justice, organized by opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, puts Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a bind: He can try to stop it, risking violence, or he can let it go on and watch the already large procession of opposition grow.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook July 10, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

U.S. Foreign Policy

What Trump Gets Right About the Middle East
The president has made plenty of unforced foreign policy errors. But in the Middle East, he seems to grasp what the United States can achieve and, importantly, what it cannot.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook July 6, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Egypt

Egypt’s Leader Faces a Crisis of His Own Making—One That Reveals His Nation’s Dangerous Weakness
Two obscure islands that many Egyptians didn't even know about suddenly threaten President Sisi's regime.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook July 5, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Turkey

Turkey's Identity Crisis
As politicians purposefully polarize their own society for political profit, the result is rage and violence.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook June 27, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Untested New Crown Prince: Mohammed Bin Salman Has High Hopes, But Rises to Power at a Dangerous Moment
King Salman's son Mohammed is now the desert kingdom's dominant figure—and the challenges before him are huge.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook June 26, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Middle East and North Africa

Kushner's Impossible Task in the Middle East Is the Easy Part
The next several years will likely hold continued violence and instability for the Middle East, where the "Arab Spring" largely failed to produce lasting improvements; these issues are beyond Washington's capacity to resolve.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook June 22, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Qatar

Untangling the Qatar Kerfuffle
Sure, the tiny gulf state is a lousy ally — but so is everyone else in the region. 

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook June 12, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Saudi Arabia

Donald in Arabia: What Did We Learn From Trump's Encounter With the Saudi Monarchy?
While Trump's visit to the famously repressive Saudi kingdom was quite a show, U.S. policy looks awfully familiar.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook May 30, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Turkey

Donald Trump Is Repeating Obama’s Errors in Dealing With Turkey’s Erdogan: But There Is Another Way Forward
Trump's critical meeting with the controversial Turkish strongman comes after a long litany of American mistakes.

Blog Post by Steven A. Cook May 15, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates

Egypt

The Struggle for Egypt
"There is a tendency to believe that Egyptians rebelled against Hosni Mubarak.... That is true, but it is not entirely accurate," writes CFR Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies …

Book by Steven A. Cook September 22, 2011

Egypt
Democracy Is Not the Cure for Terrorism
Analysts have blamed Egypt’s autocracy for a recent attack that killed hundreds. But that’s not what’s motivating the violence.
Blog Post by Steven A. Cook December 21, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates
Turkey
Why Turkey Feels Burned by Trump
The Turks thought the president would be their friend. Instead, ties with Washington have only gotten worse. 
Blog Post by Steven A. Cook November 27, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates
Saudi Arabia
Saudis Are Hoping Mohammed bin Salman Will Drain the Swamp
A road trip among ordinary Saudis revealed high hopes, and hardly any worries, about the country's new political era.
Blog Post by Steven A. Cook November 21, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates
  • Turkey
    Turkey: Friend or Frenemy? A Tangled Relationship Keeps Getting Worse
    After last year’s failed coup and Erdogan’s brutal crackdown, our relationship with Turkey has gone south fast.
    Blog Post by Steven A. Cook November 13, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates
  • Iraq
    Iraq, the Kurds and Me: What Went Wrong in Kirkuk?
    I didn’t expect Iraq to use military force against the Kurds. And I believed, or hoped, the U.S. would step in.
    Blog Post by Steven A. Cook October 23, 2017 From the Potomac to the Euphrates