PrintMona Yacoubian
Special Adviser, Muslim World Initiative, Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention
Contact
Mona Yacoubian is a special adviser to the Institute’s Muslim World Initiative, where she provides analysis and policy advice on the Middle East and North Africa. She currently directs the Institute's Lebanon Working Group and also contributes to the Institute's ongoing work on Syria. She has worked on a broad range of issues in the region, including democratization and civil society promotion, as well as counterterrorism strategy. Yacoubian has consulted for a number of organizations, including the World Bank, the Department of State, RAND Corporation, and Freedom House.
From 1990 to 1997, Yacoubian served as the North Africa analyst in the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research, where she focused on the crisis in Algeria. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), she is a frequent commentator on leading U.S. and international news outlets. She was a Fulbright scholar in Syria and an international affairs fellow at CFR, where she published a monograph titled "Algeria’s Struggle for Democracy."
Yacoubian earned a B.A. in public policy from Duke University and a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Resources & Tools
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This Working Paper is the culmination of the work of the Study Group on Reform and Security. Countries: Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
| Issue Areas: Civil Society, Conflict Analysis, Economics and Development, Governance, Human Rights, Mediation and Facilitation, Negotiation and Diplomacy, Nongovernmental Organizations, Peacebuilding, Security and Strategy, Terrorism and Political Extremism
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In the wake of Lebanon forming a new government, USIP assesses how the country can ensure ongoing political progress and stability. |
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Conflict, Identity, and Reform in the Muslim World highlights the challenges that escalating identity conflicts within Muslim-majority states pose for both the Muslim world and for the West, an issue that has received scant attention in policy and academic circles. |
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Lebanon's pro-Western bloc, known as the "March 14" coalition, will retain control of the country's government despite a strong challenge from a Hezbollah-dominated alliance, according to results from the June 7 parliamentary elections. USIP's Mona Yacoubian examines the electoral results, and what they suggest about support for Hezbollah, and the country's future direction.
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The June 7th parliamentary elections mark another important step in Lebanon’s postcivil war transition. The Cedar Revolution opened a new chapter in Lebanese history, inaugurating the end of outright Syrian hegemony. The mass protest movement mobilized following the February 14, 2005, assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri forced the Syrian military to withdraw in April 2005 after thirty years of occupation. |
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An online toolkit for peacemakers, negotiators, and other conflict management practitioners. |
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A protracted political stalemate plagues Lebanon. This dangerous deadlock has propelled the country once again toward the abyss of civil war. Will the violence that haunts the country's past recur? Is there a way out? |
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While U.S. engagement of moderate Islamists remains a hotly debated question, U.S. democracy promoters have been working with legal Islamist parties and their leaders over the past decade. This Special Report examines the experiences of U.S. democracy promoters at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI) working with Islamist parties in three countries: Morocco, Jordan, and Yemen. Issue Areas: Governance, Religion
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Mona Yacoubian addressed the Capitol Hill-based study group "Security for a New Century" on the complexities of U.S. engagement with Syria, both positive and negative. Countries: Syria, United States
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis, Conflict Management and Resolution, Negotiation and Diplomacy, Political Systems and International Relations
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Against a backdrop of growing instability in the Middle East, and despite continued pressure from the West, Syria’s alliance with Iran appears to be holding strong and perhaps even deepening. The United States has strongly criticized both Syria and Iran for contributing to the region’s volatility and, in particular, for playing a destabilizing role in each of three regional conflicts: Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. |
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Stepped-up regional diplomacy initiatives on Iraq have brought new attention to the role of Iraq's neighbors. A March 10 conference in Baghdad brought together regional powers, including Syria and Iran, together with American and Western diplomats, and marked the most significant diplomatic gathering in Iraq since 1990. As the tempo of diplomacy gains momentum, there is renewed focus on Syrian-Iraqi ties and whether Syria can help bring stability to Iraq. |
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As the political situation in Lebanon grows increasingly volatile, the nature of Syria’s role in Lebanon and, in particular, its alliance with Hezbollah, warrants closer examination. |
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One year after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and facing mounting international pressure, the Syrian regime is consolidating its hold on power and adopting a more defiant stance, both in the region and toward the West. Countries: Syria
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This USIPeace Briefing recaps discussions at a recent seminar on the speculation of political change in Syria. Countries: Syria
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USIPeace Briefing exploring the nature of Islamist militancy and how best to overcome it. |
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Mona Yacoubian, special advisor to the Muslim World Initiative testified before the Committee on Government Reform. |
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This report reviews and analyzes the components of reform as proposed by those in the region. The paper ends with some overarching conclusions on Arab reform efforts as well as recommendations for U.S. policymakers. Issue Areas: Governance
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Issue Areas: Governance
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Since the end of the Cold War, European security concerns have focused increasingly on the potential for instability on Europe's southern flank. In the aftermath of 9/11, the goal of encouraging the development of Middle East democracy has acquired greater urgency, not least in the eyes of the United States, which has bolstered its own efforts to spur democratic reform. Issue Areas: Governance
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Issue Areas: Governance
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Events
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November 17, 2009
Join IFES and USIP experts for a public discussion of Lebanon's elections. |
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June 15, 2009
On June 7th, Lebanon held its long-anticipated parliamentary elections, a critical next step in Lebanon's post-civil war transition. While many observers underscore the potential repercussions of a Hezbollah-dominated March 8th bloc win, the margin of victory will be slim regardless of which side wins. Countries: Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria
| Issue Areas: Governance, Political Systems and International Relations
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June 27, 2008
Countries: Iran
| Issue Areas: Conflict Management and Resolution, International and Regional Organizations, Political Systems and International Relations, Religion
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May 15, 2008
Countries: Lebanon
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis
| Programs: Grants & Fellowships, Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship Program
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February 29, 2008
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September 19, 2007
Issue Areas: Governance, Political Systems and International Relations, Religion
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November 27, 2006
Countries: Israel, Syria, United States
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis, Political Systems and International Relations, Security and Strategy, Terrorism and Political Extremism
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October 4, 2006
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Additional Selected Works
External Publications
- "Analyzing the Lebanese Election Results," Middle East Progress, June 2009.
- "Bridging the Divide: US Efforts to Engage the Muslim World," Middle East Journal, Summer 2009
- "U.S. faces paradigm shift in relations with Lebanon," The Washington Times, January 2009.
- "Moving Forward in Lebanon After Doha: Bridging Deep Divides," Middle East Progress, July 2008.
- Dealing With Damascus: Seeking a Greater Return on U.S.-Syria Relations, co-authored with Scott Lasensky. Council on Foreign Relations, June 2008.
- "Building Momentum for Reform: The Islamist-Secular Alliance in Yemen," The Challenge of Islamists for EU and US Policies: Conflict, Stability and Reform." SWP and USIP, November 2007.
- "Rethinking the 'War on Terror:' New Approaches to Conflict Prevention and Management in the Post-9/11 World," Leashing the Dogs of War: Conflict Management in a Divided World. USIP Press, 2007.
- "Unconventional Approaches to an Unconventional Threat: A Counter-Epidemic Strategy," Mapping the Jihadist Threat: The War on Terror Since 9/11. The Aspen Institute, 2006.
- Terrorism as Virus with Paul Stares,The Washington Post, August 23, 2005.
- "The Broader Middle East and North Africa: Major Challenges Ahead," Newsbyte, June 8, 2004
- "Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Libya, and Tunisia country reports," 2004 Freedom in the World Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties, 2004.
External Multimedia
- "Security and Political Reform in the Greater Middle East." Panel Discussion at Passing the Baton, USIP, 2009.
- "Democracy Building & Consensus in Lebanon."
Interview with Kojo Nnamdi, NPR, July 9, 2009. - Dealing with Damascus: Seeking a Greater Return on U.S.-Syrian Relations
Council on Foreign Relations Podcast, February 5, 2009.
- Mona Yacoubian on Syria's Crackdown
Council on Foreign Relations Podcast, May 26, 2006.
Interviews
- Movement in Middle East Peace Talks
Interview with Bernard Gwertzman, Council on Foreign Relations, June 18, 2008
- Yacoubian: Linkages between Special UN Tribunal, Lebanon, and Syria
Interview with Bernard Gwertzman, Council on Foreign Relations, June 1, 2007 - Yacoubian: Syria Seems to Believe Pressure for Change Easing
Interview with Bernard Gwertzman, Council on Foreign Relations, March 10, 2006