home > the cfr think tank > experts > mohamad bazzi
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
Contact Info:
Phone: +1.212.998.3613
E-mail: mbazzi@cfr.org
Location:
New York, NY
Media downloads:
High-resolution photo (JPG, 700K)
One-page bio (PDF, 59K)
Journalism professor at New York University. Former Middle East bureau chief at Newsday. Currently working on a project about Hezbollah and the Shiite community in Lebanon.
Expertise:Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Islamic militancy, Shiite politics.
Experience:Assistant Professor, New York University (2007-present); Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (2007-2008); Middle East bureau chief, Newsday (2003-2007); United Nations bureau chief, Newsday (2002); staff writer, Newsday (1998-2001).
Selected Publications:“Lebanon’s Bloody Summer,” The Nation (July 10, 2007); “How Bush’s War Bolstered Syria,” Salon.com (May 31, 2007); “The CIA’s Italian Job,” The Nation (April 9, 2007);"Blowback in Lebanon,” The Nation (January 31, 2007); “People’s Revolt in Lebanon,” The Nation (January 8, 2007).
Interviews and Blogs:
Current Research Projects
January 20, 2010
Op-Ed
The National
Mohamad Bazzi argues that the failure to advance democracy and human rights in the Middle East has been one of the Obama administration's biggest disappointments.
See more in Middle East, Human Rights, U.S. Strategy and Politics
January 19, 2010
Op-Ed
GlobalPost
Mohamad Bazzi discusses the contradictions between U.S. rhetoric and actions in the Middle East.
See more in Middle East, Democracy Promotion, U.S. Strategy and Politics
January 4, 2010
Audio
Listen to CFR fellows Edward Alden and Steven Simon discuss the U.S. response to the Christmas Day bombing plot, including tighter travel restrictions enacted for citizens of 14 countries.
See more in Defense/Homeland Security, Terrorism, U.S. Strategy and Politics
January 4, 2010
Transcript
CFR fellows, Edward Alden and Steven Simon, discuss the Christmas day bomb plot and the U.S. government's response to terror threats.
See more in United States, Terrorism, Counterterrorism, Terrorist Attacks
December 27, 2009
Op-Ed
Washington Times
"The Obama administration has an opportunity to break the current logjam in the Middle East by pushing for renewed Syrian-Israeli negotiations," writes Mohamad Bazzi.
See more in Israel, Syria, U.S. Strategy and Politics
December 26, 2009
Op-Ed
GlobalPost
Mohamad Bazzi writes that the U.S. and Europe must ensure that the most volatile border in the Middle East—Lebanon’s southern frontier with Israel—stays under control.
See more in Middle East, Israel, Lebanon
December 18, 2009
Op-Ed
The National
Mohamad Bazzi writes that negotiating peace between Israel and Syria is both, urgent and feasible and the Obama administration should actively attempt brokering a deal between the two sides.
See more in Israel, Syria, Diplomacy
December 8, 2009
Op-Ed
GlobalPost
Unlike the Israel-Palestine conflict, improving relations between Israel and Syria is a much more feasible task, writes Mohamad Bazzi.
See more in Israel, Syria, Conflict Assessment
December 4, 2009
Op-Ed
Christian Science Monitor
Although Lebanon has a new U.S.-backed Prime Minister, Hezbollah remains the dominant military and political force and it holds the key to both domestic and external stability, writes Mohamad Bazzi.
See more in Israel, Lebanon, Conflict Prevention
November 12, 2009
Interview
CFR's Mohamad Bazzi says while a new unity government in Lebanon after months of political uncertainty is welcomed by Washington, inclusion of Hezbollah poses potential challenges.
See more in Lebanon, Diplomacy, Culture and Foreign Policy, Political Movements
November 8, 2009
Op-Ed
Washington Times
Deep seated sectarian differences are the root of political instability in Lebanon, writes Mohamad Bazzi.
See more in Lebanon, Minorities, Diversity and Foreign Policy, International Peace and Security
November 5, 2009
Op-Ed
The National
"What is wrong with Lebanon and why is it so hard for elected politicians to form a government?" asks Mohamad Bazzi, citing an obsolete political system as a reason for government instability.
See more in Lebanon, Minorities, Diversity and Foreign Policy, International Peace and Security
October 22, 2009
Op-Ed
The National
Mohamad Bazzi analyses the methods and motivations of Syria’s attempts to rejoin the Arab political order after years of isolation.
See more in Middle East, Syria
October 14, 2009
Interview
CFR's Mohamad Bazzi says Syria continues to "meddle" in the business of many states in the Mideast but could be a useful partner for the United States in the region.
September 22, 2009
Op-Ed
GlobalPost
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech to the United Nations will actually be aimed towards improving his reputation in the Muslim community as a "Third World hero," writes Mohamad Bazzi.
See more in Iran, UN, Religion and Politics
September 10, 2009
Interview
As part of the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship 60th Anniversary initiative current and former fellows discuss the stories that have had the most impact and present ideas for sustaining serious international journalism. Former fellow Mohamad Bazzi looks back to his early coverage of the Iraq war and what it taught him about the importance of having many different news outlets covering the same story. For more on the initiative, visit cfr.org/murrow.
See more in Information and Communication, Media and Foreign Policy
September 9, 2009
Audio
Listen to former Edward R. Murrow press fellows analyze the difficulties associated with reporting from war zones based on their experiences.
This session was part of the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship 60th Anniversary Event, which was made possible through the generous support of the Ford Foundation and Time Warner, Inc.
See more in Media and Foreign Policy
September 9, 2009
Video
Watch former Edward R. Murrow press fellows analyze the difficulties associated with reporting from war zones based on their experiences.
This session was part of the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship 60th Anniversary Event, which was made possible through the generous support of the Ford Foundation and Time Warner, Inc.
See more in Wars and Warfare, Media and Foreign Policy
September 9, 2009, New York
Transcript
Council on Foreign Relations fellows discuss the role of the foreign correspondent in covering war zones at the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship 60th Anniversary Event.
See more in Information and Communication, Media and Foreign Policy
Explore the international oceans regime with a new interactive from CFR's program on International Institutions and Global Governance.
This report explores how international legal rules regarding military force might evolve to better meet the challenges of mass atrocities.
The authors of this CSR explain why the United States needs to place greater emphasis on preventive action and how current organizational arrangements can be changed to meet that need.
This report addresses pan-Asian and trans-Pacific architectures and guidelines for how the United States can revise its approach in order to consolidate and improve the efficacy of these Asian institutions.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
Through compelling analysis and rich historical examples that span the globe and range from the thirteenth century through the present, Charles A. Kupchan explores how adversaries can transform enmity into amity, and exposes prevalent myths about the causes of peace.
With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine Israel's adversity-driven culture to offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.
Vali Nasr reveals that there is a vital but unseen rising force in the Islamic world—a new business-minded middle class—that is building a vibrant new Muslim world economy and that holds the key to winning the cold war against Iran and extremists.
Complete list of CFR Books
For more information on the David Rockefeller Studies Program, contact:
James M. Lindsay
Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair
+1.212.434.9626 (NY); +1.202.509.8405 (DC)
jlindsay@cfr.org
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Deputy Director of Studies Administration
+1.212.434.9753
jhill@cfr.org
