Maya El-Darzi

Maya El-Darzi is a Policy Corner (PC) writer specializing in Lebanese and Greater Syrian politics. Indeed, her interest for the subject stems from a genuine desire of seeing the Middle East overcome its many obstacles. She graduated from California State University, Northridge with a B.A. in both, Political Science and History, and continued in the same institution to earn her M.A. in History as well. She hopes to clarify misinformed political and cultural opinions about the region, and convey lesser-known perspectives in Middle Eastern politics.

 Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

Brick by Brick: A Strategy Against ISIS

Maya El-Darzi December 3, 2016

His name was Fadi. He was… References and Footnotes"Homeland Security Secretary Johnson on ISIS, Ebola, and Preventing Homegrown Terrorism," Council on Foreign Relations, September 10, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/homeland-security/homeland-security-secretary-johnson-isis-ebola-preventing-homegrown-terrorism/p35716 ↩"ISIS By the Numbers: Foreign Fighter Total Keeps Growing," NBC News, February 28, 2015, accessed May 13, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-numbers-foreign-fighter-total-keeps-growing-n314731 ↩"Homeland Security Secretary Johnson on ISIS, Ebola, and Preventing Homegrown Terrorism," Council on Foreign Relations, September 10, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/homeland-security/homeland-security-secretary-johnson-isis-ebola-preventing-homegrown-terrorism/p35716 ↩ "FACT SHEET: Strategy to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)," The White House, September 10, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/10/fact-sheet-strategy-counter-islamic-state-iraq-and-levant-isil[/ref] Finally, President Obama has ordered systematic airstrikes against ISIS held territories, in hopes of protecting “U.S. personnel and facilities in Baghdad and Erbil…, kill[ing] ISIS fighters, destroy[ing] ISIS equipment, [and] protect[ing] Iraqi critical infrastructure…” Ibid ↩Ibid ↩U.S. Department of Defense, “Operation Inherent Resolve,” April 2015, accessed May 13, 2013, http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0814_iraq ↩RT News, “Jimmy Carter slams Obama’s handling of ISIS: ‘We waited too long,’” October 8, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015, http://rt.com/usa/194224-jimmy-carter-obama-isis ↩Richard Hall, “Just how many civilians have died in the West's campaign against ISIS?” The Week, April 23, 2015, accessed May 13, 2015, http://theweek.com/articles/551128/just-how-many-civilians-have-died-wests-campaign-against-isis ↩ Ibid ↩ "Ready for War with ISIS?" Foreign Affairs, December 14, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syria/2014-12-14/ready-war-isis ↩Max Boot, "Defeating ISIS," Council on Foreign Relations, November 14, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015 ↩Thomas Ricks, "Fighting ISIS (II): To Work, This Must Be More than Just a Military Operation," Foreign Policy, October 30, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015. http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/10/30/fighting-isis-ii-to-work-this-must-be-more-than-just-a-military-operation ↩

Policy Corner

Protecting Our Patriots

Maya El-Darzi July 5, 2015

In the midst of family gatherings, outdoor barbeques, and spectacular fireworks, Americans… References and Footnotes"Military Infectious Diseases Research Program (MIDRP)," US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, accessed July 4, 2015, http://mrmc.amedd.army.mil/index.cfm?pageid=medical_r_and_d.midrp.overview ↩"Military Infectious Diseases Research Program (MIDRP)," US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, accessed July 4, 2015, http://mrmc.amedd.army.mil/index.cfm?pageid=medical_r_and_d.midrp.overview ↩Ibid. ↩Ibid. ↩Ibid. ↩Ibid. ↩Ibid. ↩ Stanley M. Lemon, Protecting Our Forces Improving Vaccine Acquisition and Availability in the U.S. Military, (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 2002) 33. ↩"HIV Vaccine Research," MHRP, accessed July 4, 2015, http://www.hivresearch.org/research.php?ServiceID=5 ↩Ibid. ↩Ibid. ↩Kelly Vlahos, "Navy Researcher vs. Bureaucracy over Toxic Dust," The American Conservative, May 23, 2011, accessed July 4, 2015, http://www.theamericanconservative.com/2011/05/23/navy-researcher-vs-bureaucracy-over-toxic-dust ↩Ibid. ↩Peter Roff, "To Save Lives, Reform the FDA," Fox News, January 18, 2014, accessed July 4, 2015, http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/18/to-save-lives-reform-fda.html. ↩"If Everyone Hates the FDA Approval Process, Let's Fix It," Harvard Business Review, October 18, 2013, accessed July 4, 2015, https://hbr.org/2013/10/if-everyone-hates-the-fda-approval-process ↩Ibid. ↩

Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

A Memorial Day Tribute

Maya El-Darzi May 27, 2015

Memorial Day is… References and Footnotes "TAPS Fact Sheet & Statistics on Families of the Fallen Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)," Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, accessed May 27, 2015, http://www.taps.org/uploadedfiles/taps/resources/documents/factsheet.pdf ↩Ibid ↩Ibid ↩ Bonnie Carroll, "The Financial Aftermath of Military Loss: Helping Families Build a 'New Normal,'" The Huffington Post, June 8, 2012, accessed May 27, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bonnie-carroll/military-death-benefit_b_1578808.html. ↩Ibid ↩“Military Families Face Financial Challenges," Al Jazeera America, accessed May 27, 2015, http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/the-stream/the-latest/2014/3/5/military-familiesfacefinancialchallenges.html. ↩Ibid ↩"Inter-Service Family Assistance Committee," Joint Services Support, 2014, accessed May 27, 2015, https://www.jointservicessupport.org/Documents/ISFAC.pdf. ↩Ibid ↩Ibid ↩"The National Military Family Bereavement Study," The Uniformed Services University, accessed May 27, 2015, http://www.militarysurvivorstudy.org/information.php ↩

Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

Brick by Brick: Building a Durable Strategy Against ISIS

Maya El-Darzi May 14, 2015

His name was Fadi. He was… References and Footnotes"Homeland Security Secretary Johnson on ISIS, Ebola, and Preventing Homegrown Terrorism," Council on Foreign Relations, September 10, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/homeland-security/homeland-security-secretary-johnson-isis-ebola-preventing-homegrown-terrorism/p35716 ↩"ISIS By the Numbers: Foreign Fighter Total Keeps Growing," NBC News, February 28, 2015, accessed May 13, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-numbers-foreign-fighter-total-keeps-growing-n314731 ↩"Homeland Security Secretary Johnson on ISIS, Ebola, and Preventing Homegrown Terrorism," Council on Foreign Relations, September 10, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/homeland-security/homeland-security-secretary-johnson-isis-ebola-preventing-homegrown-terrorism/p35716 ↩ "FACT SHEET: Strategy to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)," The White House, September 10, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/10/fact-sheet-strategy-counter-islamic-state-iraq-and-levant-isil[/ref] Finally, President Obama has ordered systematic airstrikes against ISIS held territories, in hopes of protecting “U.S. personnel and facilities in Baghdad and Erbil…, kill[ing] ISIS fighters, destroy[ing] ISIS equipment, [and] protect[ing] Iraqi critical infrastructure…” Ibid ↩Ibid ↩U.S. Department of Defense, “Operation Inherent Resolve,” April 2015, accessed May 13, 2013, http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0814_iraq ↩RT News, “Jimmy Carter slams Obama’s handling of ISIS: ‘We waited too long,’” October 8, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015, http://rt.com/usa/194224-jimmy-carter-obama-isis ↩Richard Hall, “Just how many civilians have died in the West's campaign against ISIS?” The Week, April 23, 2015, accessed May 13, 2015, http://theweek.com/articles/551128/just-how-many-civilians-have-died-wests-campaign-against-isis ↩ Ibid ↩ "Ready for War with ISIS?" Foreign Affairs, December 14, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syria/2014-12-14/ready-war-isis ↩Max Boot, "Defeating ISIS," Council on Foreign Relations, November 14, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015 ↩Thomas Ricks, "Fighting ISIS (II): To Work, This Must Be More than Just a Military Operation," Foreign Policy, October 30, 2014, accessed May 13, 2015. http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/10/30/fighting-isis-ii-to-work-this-must-be-more-than-just-a-military-operation ↩

Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

“Steady as She Goes:” Diplomacy with Iran

Maya El-Darzi May 4, 2015

The Islamic Republic… References and FootnotesC. Hemmer, “Responding to a Nuclear Iran,” in Taking Sides: Clashing Views in World Politics, (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2010), 256. ↩M. Kibaroglu, “Good for the Shah, Banned for the Mullahs: The West and Iran's Quest for Nuclear Power,” Middle East Institute 60 no. 2 (2006): 209, retrieved April12, 2010, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4330247. ↩Ibid, 210. ↩Al Jazeera English, “Timeline: Iran's Nuclear Programme,” Al Jazeera English, April 9, 2010, retrieved on 12 April 2010, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2007/12/20085251853218888.html ↩R. Rosenkranz, “Intelligence Squared U.S. Series” [radio transcript], The Rosenkranz Foundation, 2009, retrieved from http://intelligencesquaredus.org/wp-content/uploads/Diplomacy-with-Iran-051209.pdf ↩Hemmer, “Responding to a Nuclear Iran,” in Taking Sides: Clashing Views in World Politics, 255. ↩Barbara Slavin, “How Iran and world powers finally got to yes on a nuclear deal,” Al Jazeera English, November 23, 2014 retrieved on August 30, 2014, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/11/23/what-the-iran-nucleardealmeans.html ↩Ibid. ↩Rosenkranz, “Intelligence Squared U.S. Series” [radio transcript], 5. ↩Fred Kaplan, Daydream Believers: How a Few Grand Ideas Wrecked American Power, (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2008), 197. ↩“Counter Notes and Sources,” Fighting for a U.S. federal budget that works for all Americans, last modified March 10, 2014, accessed August 31, 2014, https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/notes-sources/. ↩Justine Hofherr, “How a Nuclear Deal With Iran Could Affect Gas Prices,” Boston.com, March 20, 2015, retrived on May 3, 2015, http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2015/03/20/how-nuclear-deal-with-iran-could-affect-gas-prices/zNPJW06GP9cKajAciotM1K/story.html ↩