Policy Analysis

The Kurds may be leveraging recent arms agreements to achieve a more direct security relationship with Western powers on the road toward de facto autonomy.

By rethinking its position on creating an opposition buffer zone along the Turkey-Syria border, the administration could spur Assad, Iran, and Russia to change their calculus.

While the purpose of multilateral negotiations with Iran is to reduce proliferation concerns, successful talks may in fact accelerate nuclear plans in the Gulf states and Jordan.

Regardless of who enters Carthage Palace in January, a free and fair election will represent an achievement worthy of international recognition.

Helping Cairo defeat jihadis -- at minimum by delivering long-postponed weapons systems -- would be more productive than punishing it for its repressive approach in Sinai.

By focusing on financial transactions and income from oil, kidnapping, and major donors, the Treasury Department could severely undercut the group's funding streams.

Although President Abbas has condemned Tuesday's attack in Jerusalem, he allows his advisors and official media to praise the perpetrators as heroes, while his government pays stipends to convicted terrorists and their families.

Washington should help Netanyahu and Abbas formulate a code of conduct for preventing an explosion that would imperil both leaders politically.

In waiving sanctions related to the nuclear program, the president would also blunt his most effective tools for countering Tehran's other illicit activities, effectively rewarding the regime for steps it has not taken.

If the United States and its allies fail to manage the Syria and Iraq crises, victorious "anti-order" actors such as Russia, Iran, and ISIS could usher in an unstable era similar to the late 1930s.

A late-night agreement in Riyadh appears to have resolved the diplomatic spat between Qatar and its GCC partners, opening up the possibility of more diplomatic coordination and greater unity.

Try as he might, there's just too much for Obama to fix in the next two years.

The group's now-formalized annexation model could have direct political and security consequences in several countries, creating a more complex threat environment for the U.S.-led coalition.

As "feral" actors find answers to Western military might, Israel and other countries may be facing another turn in military history.

A detailed look at where the group's money comes from, how the Treasury Department and its international partners are working to cut it off, and what needs to be done next.

Even as Rabat sends delegations abroad to garner support for its security programs, the question remains: Why is Morocco one of the largest sources of IS fighters in the Arab world?

A detailed discussion of the various factors fueling or constraining chaos on Syria's borders, including Arab tribal politics, Israeli security calculations, Iranian-Hezbollah military strategy, and a seemingly hesitant U.S.-led air campaign.

Will Iran be able to build nuclear weapons? The answer could be determined by the November 24 deadline for talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany (P5+1). The outcome has profound consequences for America and the Middle East. Over the years, Washington

Locals tend to perceive today's conflict less as a struggle between external forces than as a continuation of long-running tensions between Zaydi tribal elite and the modern Yemeni state.

As the Iran deadline approaches, violence flares up in Jerusalem, and respective election cycles ebb and flow, U.S. and Israeli officials will need to work harder than ever to manage bilateral tensions.