Policy Analysis

Whether or not the newly indicted Hizballah members are convicted in The Hague, the verdict on the group in the Middle East court of public opinion will be guilty.

Today, Islamists have sought criminal charges against a Christian for tweeting an image of Mickey Mouse. In what world will they be democrats tomorrow?

On July 1 and 8, protestors plan to hold demonstrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square. If they experience the same violent repression seen at the June 28-29 protests, however, many will begin to question how much has actually changed since the days of former president Hosni Mubarak. New Violence in Tahrir

In the absence of a well-articulated U.S. strategy, America's friends and adversaries will read outreach to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood as fumbling in the dark.

How is the FBI working to defend the U.S. West Coast against the evolving global terrorist threat?

While Italy is in a sore state under the weight of its old elites, the CHP's revival will likely prevent Turkey from falling into a similar rut.

Morocco's proposed constitutional changes, while seemingly modest, will forestall further unrest and potentially pave the way for greater reforms.

Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki is taking his time consolidating power and is in no rush to forge a new security agreement with the United States.

Barring a diplomatic breakthrough, Palestinian leaders plan to pursue a statehood resolution at the United Nations in September. Yet, the most striking feature of the debate surrounding this development is how little attention is being paid to the context of this initiative and what may happen the day after the

The Security Council has changed its sanctions regime, encouraging the Taliban to end its alliance with al-Qaeda and reconcile with the Afghan government.

Iran's inability to aid Bahraini protestors could reduce its political influence among Shiite Arabs.

In a positive development for Turkey's fragile democracy, the ruling AKP fell short of retaining its parliamentary supermajority.

The June 22 announcement that a youth wing of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is splitting off to form its own secular party is emblematic of the unprecedented political activity in post-Mubarak Egypt. June 21 saw the second meeting of the National Democratic Alliance for Egypt, with fourteen smaller parties

Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs. Events of recent weeks -- intensified attacks on U.S. civilian and military personnel in Iraq, ongoing political and terrorist violence against Iraqis, and tensions related to the brewing debate in Iraq about the U.S. military presence beyond 2011 --

Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs. Four months ago, I had the privilege of testifying to this committee when the hope and optimism of the potential for democratic change in the region was at its height. Now that we have seen what reactionary forces in

The Israeli-Palestinian portion of President Obama's May 19 speech generated much more attention than his comments on trade, investment, and development initiatives to promote growth and opportunities across the Middle East. Yet without a strong and credible economic program, efforts to advance Washington's political and security agenda in the region

The key battle with al-Qaeda in Yemen is in the countryside, where the U.S. government is paying too little attention.

Within the Islamic Republic of Iran, both the democratic movement and internal conflict raise questions about the regime's stability. Should Ayatollah Ali Khamenei die -- or become unable to carry out his position as supreme leader -- the regime's stability rests on the peaceful transition of power.

Yemen is experiencing a relative lull following the dramatic events of June 3-4, when government forces attacked the homes of senior opposition leaders and President Ali Saleh was seriously wounded in a palace bombing. Although skirmishes continue throughout the country, all sides are saving their strength for the major outbreak

Bashar al-Assad's June 20 speech at Damascus University was another disappointing attempt to quell three months of antiregime protests sweeping Syria.