Policy Analysis

Reporting about violence in the Middle East often focuses on Islamic extremists, and this is increasingly true for much of the coverage of Syria's uprising. But in the Syrian political opposition, Islamic extremism is truly the exception that proves the rule. The vast majority of Syrian opposition activists, according to

Washington should work closely with Amman, providing alternatives to rash changes that some will advocate as a way to stay ahead of the region's political tidal wave.

The United States must avoid the temptation of misapprehending the current spurt of violence in the region or rashly disengaging in frustration over longstanding problems.

Iran's economy has taken a turn for the worse, primarily due to poor domestic policies as well as international sanctions. But it would be unduly optimistic to think this will change the regime's nuclear stance.

In this special feature article, Institute senior fellow David Makovsky draws on interviews with some two dozen Israeli and American officials who knew about the 2007 Israeli attack on Syria and explores what it could mean for potential military action against Iran's nuclear facilities. Included is a behind-the-scenes account of

The growing refugee zones straddling the border could force Turkey to voice its demands for direct U.S. and international assistance on the Syria crisis.

On September 10, 2012, Andrew J. Tabler and Jeffrey White addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute to discuss their recent trip to Lebanon and Turkey. Mr. Tabler is a senior fellow in the Institute's Program on Arab Politics, where he focuses on Syria and U.S. policy in the

Atlantic correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg continues the discussion of next steps on Iran with scholar Shaul Bakhash and Dr. Satloff.

The United States should engage with the countries that want to work in tandem and tread cautiously where relations will be more problematic.

The Morsi government is encouraging anti-American unrest; the Obama administration must now send a clear signal back.

Only with significantly greater cohesion in the United States and Israel will Iran's leaders even consider accepting a compromise on their nuclear program.

Islamist extremism is limited in Libya, but it could grow if no action is taken against those responsible for recent violence.

President Obama should condition any meeting with the Egyptian leader on a clear and public renunciation of the Muslim Brotherhood's continued 9/11 revisionism.

Atlantic Monthly national correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg interviewed Institute executive director Robert Satloff about the current state of the international crisis over Iran's nuclear program and U.S. and Israeli policy.

How should Washington assess the strategic threat of al-Qaeda's central command structure versus its regional satellites and aligned or sympathetic groups?

A top-level Israeli government committee has produced a blueprint for exploitation of substantial natural gas reserves, but solutions must still be devised for a range of technical, commercial, and political problems.

The regime's most secure uranium-enrichment site has doubled capacity since May, and its suspected top bomb-maker is back on the case.

There is still time for the United States to control the growing sectarian threat in Syria and other countries, but the volatile cocktail of religious antagonism, national interests, and oil requires immediate and vigorous action.

On August 29, 2012, Simon Henderson and Olli Heinonen addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Mr. Henderson is the Baker fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute. Mr. Heinonen, a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, previously served

AQ Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb and the worst nuclear proliferator in history, is launching a new political movement. His goal? No less than to become Pakistan's Nelson Mandela.