Policy Analysis

The dominant power in Syria's Kurdish regions, the PYD, is deeply problematic but shares some common interests with the United States.

The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation offers its latest assessment of how many foreigners are fighting in Syria's civil war, which countries they hail from, and other key data.

Ennahda's agreement to step aside under peaceful popular pressure, at long last, sets an encouraging but all-too-rare example -- yet one that may not last.

Buoyed by a decade of economic growth, Turkey is more prosperous than ever before. At the forefront of this transformation, Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has reaped the rewards of economic success and political prestige. But as the party strives to institutionalize its gains, it faces growing challenges at

As Egypt prepares to vote on a constitution that could prove economically ruinous or, at best, ineffectual, Washington and its regional allies should discuss ways of encouraging Cairo to pursue much-needed reforms.

Morocco's exceptional stability following the Arab Spring and its penchant for close relations with the West make it worthy of significant U.S. attention and encouragement.

Stories of Arabs who helped Jews, often at great personal risk, are part of the history of the Holocaust and the history of Tunisia, and they deserve their rightful place in both stories.

Hezbollah recruited operatives with dual citizenship to carry out the bombing in Burgas, Bulgaria.

A Moroccan parliamentary proposal that would ban normalization with Israel has progressed further than expected but is unlikely to pass.

Middle Easterners fear the White House will return to bad habits by dropping its demands on Syria in order to appease Iran.

Washington should help Sana confront al-Qaeda in the provinces where it is strongest, focusing less on drones and more on expanding Yemeni security forces to the countryside and countering the group's increasing soft-power savvy.

Washington Institute fellow Michael Knights addressed a joint hearing of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. The following is an excerpt from his prepared remarks; download the PDF to read more, or watch video of the full hearing

The Institute's Soner Cagaptay was a featured expert on BBC2's documentary series on Turkish history. Watch his contribution to episode three.

The Syrian refugee crisis may force Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Iran to reevaluate their approach to Bashar al-Assad's war.

The Beirut embassy bombing and Iran's anticipated retaliation against Saudi Arabia could threaten Lebanon's already tenuous stability.

The December 10-11 Gulf Cooperation Council meeting should indicate how member states will respond to U.S.-led nuclear diplomacy with Iran, among other issues.

The Saudi government views Twitter as a national security threat.

While Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is hardly on the cusp of a dramatic comeback, it retains legions of members and active rural cells that are committed to its power-seeking program.

Washington's failure to act forcefully in Syria and other limited-risk situations will only fuel chaos in the Middle East.

A viable comprehensive solution will need to resolve concerns about possible military dimensions, eliminate an automatic sunset clause, and define clear-cut incentives for compliance and disincentives for noncompliance.