Paul Salem
The Hill
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Paul:
Six things Biden must consider on Lebanon
The window is narrowing for pulling Lebanon back from the brink of collapse, which would take decades to repair. → Read More
Message from the President
Dear MEI Community, Like so many of you, I was horrified by the killing of George Floyd, and I share this message to reflect on the meaning of this crisis and what has become a pivotal moment for the United States in the world. Many of you have been deeply shaken by recent events, and spurred to action. This crisis heralds the need — and opportunity — for positive change. → Read More
Five scenarios for the US-Iran conflict
The U.S. and Iran are locked in conflict. Regardless of the details or culpability regarding the latest attack on two tankers in the Gulf, the conflict is centered on Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign and Tehran’s response that it will not sit idly by while its economy is brought to its knees. Paul Salem sketches out five possibilities for where things might be headed. → Read More
Monday Briefing | Iraq: Outreach abroad, but troubles at home
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Randa Slim, Charles Lister, Gerald Feierstein, and Paul Salem provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi's first foreign trip to Egypt, the future threat posed by ISIS, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's AIPAC meeting in Washington, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Lebanon. → Read More
Monday Briefing: Algeria's political crisis is deepening
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Robert S. Ford, Paul Salem, Marvin G. Weinbaum, Wa'el Alzayat, and Alex Vatanka provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including Algeria's ongoing political crisis, the 16th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, criticism of the U.S.-Taliban talks by Afghanistan's national security advisor, international fundraising efforts to aid… → Read More
Monday Briefing | Iraq: Stuck in the middle again
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Randa Slim, Paul Salem, Ahmad Majidyar, and Marvin G. Weinbaum provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including President Trump's comment about keeping U.S. troops in Iraq "to be able to watch Iran," Pope Francis's trip to the UAE, the EU's maneuvers to defy U.S. sanctions on Iran, and intra-Afghan talks in Moscow. Iraq: Stuck in the middle… → Read More
Hariri announces another flawed government, but don’t walk away from Lebanon
After nine months of deadlock, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri announced the formation of a new government of 30 ministers. The composition of the government is reflective of Lebanon’s power-sharing system and of the results of the last parliamentary elections. → Read More
Monday Briefing: US-Taliban talks progress, but major obstacles remain
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Ahmad Majidyar, Marvin G. Weinbaum, Randa Slim, Paul Salem, and Guney Yildiz provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including U.S. negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan, a warning sent to Israel by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the Sudanese president's appeal for external support, Turkish-Syrian diplomacy, and Pakistan's acceptance… → Read More
Weekly Briefing: Failed Arab Economic Summit in Beirut underscores divisions
In this week's Weekly Briefing, contributors Paul Salem, Marvin G. Weinbaum, William Lawrence, Ruba Husari, and Jean-François Seznec provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the Arab Economic Summit held in Beirut this weekend, Afghanistan's upcoming presidential elections, strikes in Tunisia, the Trump administration's next steps on Iranian oil policy, and Saudi Aramco’s $10B… → Read More
Weekly Briefing: Pompeo’s visit raises more questions than it answers
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Gerald Feierstein, Paul Salem, Alex Vatanka, W. Robert Pearson, and Mirette F. Mabrouk provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent visit to the Middle East, recent protests in Sudan, Iranian outreach to Baghdad, President Trump's discussion with President Erdogan on treatment of the Kurds, and the… → Read More
Monday Briefing: Optics and geo-economics at the G20
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts discuss recent and upcoming events including MBS' lukewarm reception at the G20 summit, plans for a UN-hosted Western Sahara roundtable, and Qatar's decision to leave OPEC. → Read More
Khashoggi disappearance sends shock waves
In this week's briefing, MEI experts discuss recent and upcoming events including the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi from the Saudi consulate in Turkey, the arrests of an opposition leader and a prominent journalist in Pakistan, and Iran’s decision to join the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). → Read More
Assad’s quiet breakthrough in New York
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including a potential Arab rapprochement with the Assad regime, a likely thaw in German-Turkish relations, an → Read More
Trump comes to leverage the UN, not to bury it
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Paul Salem, Eran Etzion, Gonul Tol, Randa Slim, and Marvin G. Weinbaum provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the potential for renewed U.S.-Iran talks, escalating tensions between Israel and Russia, Turkey's attempts to disarm rebels in Idlib, trilateral Russia-Turkey-Iran negotiations over Syria, and Russia-led Afghan peace talks. → Read More
Monday Briefing: Syria strikes underline Assad’s vulnerability
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Charles Lister, Gonul Tol, Paul Salem, Alex Vatanka, and Marvin G. Weinbaum provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the Syria strikes, Turkey's Assad paradox, the Arab League summit, EU's view of the Iran nuclear deal, and clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. → Read More
Monday Briefing: Gaza bloodshed presages wider troubles
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Paul Salem, Bilal Y. Saab, Marvin G. Weinbaum, and Charles Lister provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the latest violence in Gaza, Gulf Shield-1 military drills, the Taliban's resistance to peace, and the approaching Syria summit in Ankara. → Read More
Trump's about-face in Syria
Trump announces “mission aborted” in Syria – Paul SalemIn a speech on Thursday, President Donald Trump reversed his administration’s policy on Syria, declaring “we’re coming out of Syria very soon. Let the other people take care of it now.” → Read More
Monday Briefing: Bracing for Bolton
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Paul Salem, Bilal Y. Saab, Gerald Feierstein, Gonul Tol, and Ibrahim al-Assil provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the appointment of John Bolton to national security advisor, the Houthi missile attack on Riyadh, Egypt’s regressive referendum, the Yemeni war’s third anniversary, EU-Turkey diplomacy, and the worsening crisis in… → Read More
Monday Briefing: Mohammed bin Salman’s American charm offensive
In this week's Monday Briefing, MEI experts Gerald Feierstein, Paul Salem, Charles Lister, Jean-François Seznec, and Jonathan M. Winer provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including the shaping of U.S.-Saudi relations, Pompeo’s appointment to secretary of state, Turkey's capture of Afrin, the future of Saudi energy, and Egypt's efforts to unite the Libyan military. → Read More
Saudi Arabia positively reverses Lebanon policy
A new Saudi policy of positive engagement is a timely reversal of the much more confrontational policy that included Hariri’s resignation under duress during his last visit to Riyadh in November 2017 → Read More