All Policy Analysis by Aaron Y. Zelin

From Sana to Benghazi, Cairo to Casablanca, new jihadist groups have adopted the same name in recent months. Is it all just a coincidence?

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

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

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

The ongoing drone strike campaign has inflicted heavy losses on militant groups, but its impact on their recruitment and operational efforts is less clear.

While most individuals involved in the rebellion are Syrian, foreign fighters now have a very real presence that should worry both the regime and the opposition.

One of Saudi Arabia's most popular hardline clerics just embraced democracy. Should we worry, or applaud?

The legalization and participation of Salafi parties in the democratic process is one of the recent trends to emerge from the Arab uprisings. Like Egypt, which legalized three Salafi parties for its elections, and Yemen, which recently legalized its own Salafi party, Tunisia licensed the Tunisian Islamic Reform Front (Hizb