Policy Analysis

The next six months could see either a game-changing strategic energy compact between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds or movement toward a more sustainable Ankara-Baghdad-Erbil relationship. Washington has a strong interest in encouraging the latter.

Prematurely granting an IMF loan without pressuring the Muslim Brotherhood government to reform and compromise would only accelerate Egypt's descent into failure.

Washington should encourage the UAE to publicly present its evidence against the local Brotherhood group al-Islah, several of whose members are being tried for subversion.

The Institute's counselor testified before the Senate regarding the need for action on Syria. The following is an excerpt from his prepared remarks ; download the PDF to read the full testimony, or read the version republished in Foreign Policy under the title "It's Time to Act in Syria." "...There

A new military takeover would not provide any more of a path to stability than the increasingly autocratic Muslim Brotherhood, yet this may be where Egypt is heading.

The government doesn't want to boost the stature of the military, it has a big Alawite community, and plenty of other reasons.

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.

On April 9th 2013, the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin welcomed Institute executive director Robert Satloff for a discussion of the foreign policy challenges and opportunities facing the second Obama administration.

Prince Zeid bin Raad, Jordan's UN ambassador, and veteran U.S. diplomat Ambassador James F. Jeffrey debated responses to the Syrian crisis and the future of the Middle East at the 2013 Lafer Symposium. Watch their wide-ranging discussion.

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

Pro-Assad sentiment and sectarian tensions in the south have made Ankara think twice about intervention and could bring the fighting over the border.

The role of oil in Iran's economy is declining, undercutting Western efforts to press the regime by reducing its oil export revenue.

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.

Washington should tell Morsi that politicized prosecutions and other autocratic moves are increasing the risk of wider violence.

Amid uncertain leadership and growing domestic criticism in Saudi Arabia, Washington should press Riyadh to tolerate greater political participation, accelerate the succession discussion, and prevent Iran from exploiting the situation.

If Washington and its partners build on incremental technological progress and greater regional cooperation, they can field a Gulf missile defense network capable of dealing with Iran's growing arsenal.

Young activists will likely be important agents of structural reform in the small Gulf states, and Washington should make more effort to engage them.

If substantive peace talks are to have any chance of proceeding, Israeli and Palestinian leaders must first send basic signals regarding settlements and acceptance.

As Yemen's National Dialogue unfolds in the coming weeks, Washington should press stakeholders to address not only reform, but also the ongoing al-Qaeda threat.

Because Egypt's economic crisis has political roots, international donors cannot save the country by themselves. But they can use the IMF negotiations to help Cairo recognize that a turnaround will require not just economic reform, but more inclusive government and political reconciliation.