The Washington Institute

The mission of The Washington Institute is to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them. A generation ago, the founders of The Washington Institute set out to promote peace and security in the Middle East by creating an institution dedicated to injecting realism, balance, and scholarship into the making of U.S. policy. Starting with a shoestring budget and a five-person staff, the Institute has grown over the past quarter-century to become a powerful “idea factory” that is home to Washington’s finest collection of expertise on the political, security, military, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of the Middle East. A trusted resource for government, the military and the media, the Institute is proud to provide advice and counsel to presidents of both parties, help adversaries replace conflict with dialogue, and produce path-breaking research, analysis, and recommendations that have made Americans and our Middle East allies smarter, wiser, and more secure.