All Policy Analysis by Aaron Y. Zelin

When influential cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi called for jihad in Syria, he paved the way toward region-wide conflict.

Although Washington and Saudi Arabia have increased their support for the mainstream Syrian opposition, jihadist factions and their Qatari and Egyptian backers are asserting themselves as well.

Aaron Zelin, a Washington Institute expert on jihadist movements, joined with Evan Kohlmann and Laith al-Khouri of Flashpoint Global Partners to prepare this study charting the evolving role of Sunni foreign fighters in Syria's ongoing war. Below is an excerpt; download the PDF to read the full report, complete with

Whichever way the latest tensions unfold, Tunis is unlikely to return to its "light touch" of old, and further confrontations with the Salafists could become the norm.

The open declaration of Jabhat al-Nusra's affiliation with al-Qaeda only reiterates the need for U.S. leadership in helping the mainstream rebels contain the jihadists.

The following excerpt is from the 2013 edition of the World Almanac of Islamism , a comprehensive anthology on the state of radical Islam in countries worldwide. Download the PDF to read the Libya chapter, or visit the AFPC website to access the full series. The tragic death of U.S

The number of Europeans joining the Syrian jihad is not as high as some fear, but their impact on the war and potential threat upon returning home could be disproportionately great.