In The Media
Lina Khatib
{
"authors": [
"Lina Khatib"
],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Levant",
"Syria",
"Middle East"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Security",
"Foreign Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
Syrians in Their Neighborhood: Regional Crisis, Regional Solutions
There is lack of will to be decisive about the conflict in Syria and a staggering lack of understanding, especially on the part of Western donors, of what is actually happening on the ground.
By Lina Khatib
Published on Mar 13, 2014
Source: Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs
When it comes to the regional dimension of the Syrian crisis, we are “dealing with a new Middle East cold war with different actors in the region with their own rivalries, mainly Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iran,” said Carnegie’s Lina Khatib during a symposium on the Syrian refugee crisis at the American University of Beirut Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs.
Khatib said that the conflict is being viewed through a “black and white framework” by international actors, especially regarding the roles of Iran and Russia who are “sticking to a hardline position that they will not budge on.”
“To think that diplomatic talks such as Geneva are going to be the solution is actually very simplistic,” argued Khatib, because to reach any solution requires a complicated comprehensive strategy for a complicated conflict. Khatib added that there is still a “lack of will to be decisive about the conflict and there is a staggering lack of understanding, especially on the part of Western donors, of what is actually happening on the ground.”
About the Author
Lina Khatib
Former Director, Middle East Center
Khatib was director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Previously, she was the co-founding head of the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.
- Syria's Last Best Hope: The Southern Front
- The Islamic State’s Strategy: Lasting and ExpandingPaper
Lina Khatib
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie China
- Malaysia’s Year as ASEAN Chair: Managing DisorderCommentary
Malaysia’s chairmanship sought to fend off short-term challenges while laying the groundwork for minimizing ASEAN’s longer-term exposure to external stresses.
Elina Noor
- When It Comes to Superpower Geopolitics, Malaysia Is Staunchly NonpartisanCommentary
For Malaysia, the conjunction that works is “and” not “or” when it comes to the United States and China.
Elina Noor
- Neither Comrade nor Ally: Decoding Vietnam’s First Army Drill with ChinaCommentary
In July 2025, Vietnam and China held their first joint army drill, a modest but symbolic move reflecting Hanoi’s strategic hedging amid U.S.–China rivalry.
Nguyễn Khắc Giang
- China’s Mediation Offer in the Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute Sheds Light on Beijing’s Security Role in Southeast AsiaCommentary
The Thai-Cambodian conflict highlights the limits to China's peacemaker ambition and the significance of this role on Southeast Asia’s balance of power.
Pongphisoot (Paul) Busbarat
- China Is Determined to Hold Firm Against Trump’s PressureCommentary
Beijing believes that Washington is overestimating its own leverage and its ability to handle the trade war’s impacts.
Rick Waters, Sheena Chestnut Greitens
