All Policy Analysis by David Schenker

Thursday came news that General Manaf Tlass, a senior commander of Syria's elite Republican Guard -- the troops most directly responsible for defending the embattled Bashar Assad regime -- had defected to Turkey. While the operational impact his departure on his particular unit may be inconsequential, the impact on the

The struggle for supremacy between the Islamists and the military is second to a more important political battle: what kind of Islamic state Egypt will become.

As post-revolutionary Egypt slowly shapes a new political landscape, it faces a resurgent security challenge from extremist groups. David Schenker examines recent incidents, security force capabilities, and the extent to which Islamist political blocs might influence the country's domestic and regional security posture. The following is a summary of the

Sixteen months on, the transition in Egypt is not over; indeed, it is just beginning. On the eve of the Muslim Brotherhood's presidential victory, former senior Defense Department official David Schenker testified on how Washington should use its limited leverage in Cairo in the near term, offering a detailed status

New unrest in prospect after high-court rulings appear to back military council.

Violence in Syria and Lebanon coincides with diminished international commitment to UN forces monitoring the borders with Israel.

Deteriorating security in the Sinai Peninsula threatens not only the peacekeepers based there, but also the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty.

The legitimacy of Egypt’s next president will depend on the credibility of tomorrow’s elections, yet credibility may not be enough for many Egyptians.

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Middle East Insights (vol. 3, no. 3). To read the full article, download the PDF. The so-called "Arab Spring" has forever changed the face of the Middle East, and it's not finished. While the revolts that toppled longtime autocrats

Cairo's otherwise disappointing decision to freeze Israel's gas supplies gives Washington an opportunity to separate its Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean energy policies.

From failing European economies to staggering murder rates in Central America, there's no shortage of crises on the agenda as the International Monetary Fund holds its annual spring meeting in Washington this week. Of all the problems within the IMF's purview, however, the ongoing economic deterioration in Egypt may be

A year into the Syrian uprising against Bashar Al-Assad, the dysfunctional nature of Syrian opposition politics isn't exactly news. But the resignation last month of Syrian dissident Kamal Labwani from the Syrian National Council (SNC) -- which he accused not only of being "undemocratic" and incompetent, but intent on undermining