Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

Waleed Hazbun

Waleed Hazbun teaches international relations at the University of Alabama and is a founding member of the working group on Critical Security Studies in the Arab Region supported by the Beirut-based Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS).

MER Article

Reimagining US Engagement with a Turbulent Middle East

Amidst the horror of President Donald Trump’s reckless actions in the Middle East there is an urgent need to not only oppose his policies, but also to envision a new path for the United States. Trump has endorsed the Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory, supported the Saudi-led war in

Waleed Hazbun • 18 min read

MER Article

American Interventionism and the Geopolitical Roots of Yemen’s Catastrophe

The region’s current pattern of violence is rooted in the repeated US efforts to re-make the region to its advantage through the use of coercive force since 2001. Washington’s interventions and proliferating counterterrorism operations around the region—along with the new Arab wars that followed the

Waleed Hazbun • 13 min read

MER Article

Beyond the Bush Doctrine

Will the Bush doctrine come to an end on January 20, 2009, when President Barack Obama takes office? Surely, Obama will distance himself from regime change and preventive war. He has pledged to de-escalate the Iraq war with a phased redeployment and rebuild America’s alliances and image abroad throu

Waleed Hazbun • 16 min read

MER Article

Reading Culture, Identity and Space in US Foreign Policy

Inundated by “theories” about the putative role of Islamic and Arab culture in shaping Middle East politics, one might ask: what role does American culture play in US foreign policy? In recent years, some of the most innovative contributions to the study of US relations with the Middle East have com

Waleed Hazbun • 9 min read

Current Analysis

For Arab World Peace, More Voices Need Attention

Pundits on the right have been quick to say the Bush administration deserves credit for sparking democratic rumblings across the Middle East. They note the popular protests against Syrian influence in Lebanon and Egyptian President Husni Mubarak ’s pledge to allow multiple candidates to run in the p

Waleed Hazbun, Michelle Woodward • 2 min read