Paul Salem
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}Source: Getty
How Does the U.S. Election Affect the Middle East?
Romney's inconsistent positions on foreign policy, coupled with the prospect of appointing hawkish cabinet ministers, risks greater conflict in the Middle East.
Source: National

The two candidates have profoundly different visions of domestic policy, but their positions on foreign policy are not as dramatically different.
About the Author
Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute
Paul Salem is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
- Iraq’s Tangled Foreign Interests and RelationsPaper
- Bracing for Impact in SyriaArticle
Paul Salem
Recent Work
More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
- Syria’s Mandatory Imperial TribulationCommentary
In an interview, Elizabeth Thompson recalls how the country formulated a liberal constitution in 1920, before being denied by France and Britain.
Michael Young
- World Cup 2026: A Middle East and North Africa PrimerCommentary
This will be the region’s most representative tournament, amid broad changes in its footballing landscape.
Issam Kayssi
- Israel’s Security Means Insecurity in the Middle EastCommentary
As negotiations with Iran and Lebanon continue, chaos is at the heart of the Netanyahu government’s calculations.
Michael Young
- Syria and Jordan by the NumbersCommentary
Trade statistics show why Amman has more reason than Damascus to welcome the improvement in bilateral commerce.
Armenak Tokmajyan
- An Army of “Sons of the Regions”: Syria’s Post-Assad Military OrderArticle
The country’s armed forces have been reorganized as an emergency measure to prevent national fragmentation, however their diffuse structure on the ground may, in the future, serve only to reinforce fragmentation.
Kheder Khaddour