Policy Analysis

President Obama is right that diplomacy should be America's lead option. But diplomacy needs help, be it military or economic

Washington Institute research explains the complexities of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

In addition to hitting ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the United States should target the Assad regime's military infrastructure to ensure that Damascus cannot take advantage of the situation.

Today's draft agreement will have to withstand domestic and foreign pressure on Amman.

Amman appears committed to difficult economic reforms, but militant Islamists -- and controversial palace initiatives -- continue to challenge the kingdom's stability.

Ankara's efforts to become a regional power player have backfired. It's time to renew old partnerships instead.

With Middle East players from North Africa through the Gulf focused on the twin challenges of radical Sunni jihadism and the fear of Iranian expansionism, the Israel-Hamas war was more a symptom than a trigger of regional developments. Still, repercussions from the fighting, the on-again/off-again ceasefires, and the political alignments

Since containment is no longer a viable option, Washington must build a regional coalition of the willing to roll back the terrorist group.

Davutoglu's long track record of Ottoman revivalism has exposed Turkey to dangerous regional threats, and defusing them will likely preoccupy him in his new post.

As the old joke goes: Israel's situation is, in one word, good; in two words, not good.

Alarming ISIS gains in Iraq and Syria present a special opportunity for Washington to work with Qatar on enforcing counter-terrorist financing procedures.

Lebanon is in grave danger of becoming the next ISIS victim, and recent clashes in Arsal were just a taste of things to come.

Fallujah Redux is the first book about the Fallujah Awakening written by Operation Iraqi Freedom military veterans who served there, providing a comprehensive account of the turning of Fallujah away from the al-Qaeda insurgency in 2007. The city of Fallujah will long be associated with some of the worst violence

Aside from potential military intervention, the Algerian government can leverage its diplomatic ties to mediate between the conflicting Libyan parties, thwart a possible ISIS takeover, and eliminate the threat to the Sahel region as a whole.

Much of the group's early military success was due to the weakness and unpreparedness of its enemies, so the right blend of countermeasures could still roll it back.

Hopefully, the latest ceasefire agreement will herald a new beginning for Gaza, liberating the innocent people of that shattered place from the dead-end ideology of a terrorist regime and any more of its "victories."

The latest ISIS victories in northern Syria raise questions about who can prevent further advances, pointing to the potential need for foreign air intervention.

The visit of a top-level Saudi delegation to Doha hints at exasperation with Qatari policies.

A coalition of like-minded Arab states -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates -- is emerging to confront militant Islamism.

Coordinated U.S. airstrikes with a joint Baghdad-Kurdish offensive could quickly open a humanitarian corridor without pulling American forces into deeper involvement.