AP Photo
October 13, 2008
"Obama Is Right About Talking to Iran"
Op-Ed, Wall Street Journal
By Vali Nasr
"Many have assumed that Russia can help solve the Iran problem, but few have considered that the reverse is also true. Iran is important to Russia's game plan and how Moscow weighs its options going forward. That makes talking to Iran an essential part of America's plans for containing Russia."
AP Photo
November 5, 2007
"Musharraf fears democracy, not extremism"
Op-Ed, Christian Science Monitor
By Vali Nasr
Since 9/11, Washington has embraced Musharraf as an ally in the war on terror and the bulwark against extremism in Pakistan. But Musharraf's Pakistan has not lived up to expectations. Pakistan's contribution to fighting Al Qaeda is open to question; the Taliban hiding in Pakistan are terrorizing southern Afghanistan; and in Pakistan, there is now more violence, extremism, and instability than when Musharraf took over in 1999.
April 5, 2007
What We Can Learn From Britain About Iran
Op-Ed, New York Times
By Vali Nasr
Through the capture of and subsequent announcement that it would release 15 British sailors and marines, the Islamic Republic of Iran sent its adversaries a pointed message: just as Iran will meet confrontation with confrontation, it will respond to what it perceives as flexibility with pragmatism. This message is worth heeding as the United States and Iran seem to be moving inexorably toward conflict.
November 24, 2008
"The Sunni-Shia Divide and the Future of Islam"
Media Feature
By Vali Nasr
Vali Nasr was interviewed by Krista Trippet for the NPR show, Speaking of Faith, on the Sunni-Shia Divide and the Future of Islam.
Listen to the program here.
June 18, 2008
Vali Nasr Discusses Iraq on Charlie Rose
Media Feature
By Vali Nasr
DI Senior Fellow Vali Nasr tells Charlie Rose about his recent trip to Iraq. The Council on Foreign Relation's Stephen Biddle and the New York Times' Michael Gordon also weigh in.
Watch the full program here.
December 18, 2007
"How Iran's president is being undercut"
Op-Ed, Christian Science Monitor
By Vali Nasr
Because the theocratic regime now feels immune from military retribution and is confronting a fragmented international community, it is likely to be fortified in its efforts to complete the fuel cycle. Meanwhile, Iran is cooperating with inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency and is judged by the CIA to have suspended critical components of its nuclear network. It has no reason to cease any of its activities.
AP Photo
December 9, 2007
"Meet 'The Decider' of Tehran. It's Not the Hothead You Expect"
Op-Ed, Washington Post
By Vali Nasr
When most Americans think of Iran, they probably think of its incendiary president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since his election in 2005, Ahmadinejad has gleefully shocked the world with his defiance over Iran's nuclear programs, his ravings about a Shiite messiah, his jeremiads against Israel and his denial that the Holocaust occurred. But while Ahmadinejad is surely the regime's face, he's not its boss. Since Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's death in 1989, the real power in Tehran has belonged to the country's supreme leader and top cleric, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ahmadinejad makes all the noise, but Khamenei pulls all the strings.
July 20, 2007
How to Squeeze Jihadi Culture Out of Pakistan
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Christian Science Monitor
By Vali Nasr
Putting faith in President Musharraf hasn't worked. But here's what the US can do.
May/June 2007
Who Wins In Iraq?
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Foreign Policy
By Vali Nasr
After nearly 25 years of wrestling with Saddam Hussein, Iran’s Shiite rulers have the war to thank for their newfound power.
April 5, 2007
What We Can Learn From Britain About Iran
Op-Ed, New York Times
By Vali Nasr
Through the capture of and subsequent announcement that it would release 15 British sailors and marines, the Islamic Republic of Iran sent its adversaries a pointed message: just as Iran will meet confrontation with confrontation, it will respond to what it perceives as flexibility with pragmatism. This message is worth heeding as the United States and Iran seem to be moving inexorably toward conflict.
