All Policy Analysis by Aaron Y. Zelin

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.

An expert on jihadist groups travels to Tunisia to see how one key faction is using a potent social-welfare approach to win hearts and minds.

Stagnation and stalemate continue to plague the country where the Arab Spring began.

As Secretary Kerry makes his inaugural Middle East trip, states across North Africa face rising tensions among the forces for democracy, stability, and Islamic political ascendancy. In Egypt and Tunisia, revolutions have given way to uncertainty and violence, while Morocco's model of stable reform -- a monarch with an Islamist

Islamists are bankrolling terrorist groups across the Middle East and calling it aid work.

When the Syrian uprising began in March 2011, the presence of jihadists in the protests was minimal at best. As the rebellion escalated, however, jihadists began to take advantage of the new landscape; by fall 2012, militants associated with al-Qaeda's worldview had become one of the key fighting forces against

Amid the recent turmoil, one Salafist group is attempting to outhustle its rivals and the government by flexing its organizational muscles on the street.

Although more jihadis continue to be attracted to Twitter and Facebook, they still prefer al-Qaeda's tried and true method of authentication using approved online forums.

An in-depth analysis of past and present chatter on prominent jihadist internet forums, including its implications for extremist ideological penetration in the West.

Another prominent Salafist militia has emerged in Syria, further complicating Washington's efforts to find rebel factions that align with U.S. interests.

Washington should work with -- and pressure -- Cairo to counter the country's growing jihadist threat.