Policy Analysis

The West's relationship with Ankara will become increasingly cold as long as populist leaders on both sides continue polarizing their constituents with anti-Muslim and anti-Western rhetoric.

May 8, 2017 I had not been to Qamishli for twenty years. As a Ph.D. student at the French Institute for the Near East, I went with two friends in the late 1990s to explore northeast Syria. This journey led us to Raqqa, Deir al-Zour, Hasaka, and Qamishli. Since 1997

Watch an in-depth conversation with two intimate observers of the Trump administration on new directions in American Middle East policy.

As clerics are pushed ever further to the political margins, the regime will need to double down on its current strategy: relying more on security measures than spiritual authorities to ensure its survival.

May 5, 2017 A few decades ago, Egypt, Syria, and Iraq were culturally rich and diverse societies, with distinct national identities that acknowledged their pluralism. For much of the twentieth century the Egyptian flag was green with a white crescent encircling three white stars. A relic of Ottoman times, the

The international community's vacillation and vague guarantees in the run-up to the 1967 war taught the Israelis an important cautionary lesson: when the chips are down, they need to be able to defend themselves by themselves.

In this short video, Institute scholars explain the economic, security, and political dynamics shaping Iran's 2017 presidential election and the future of Iranian policy.

The KRG's independence referendum should be treated as a tactical bid to unify the Iraqi Kurds and strengthen their position toward Baghdad, but without jettisoning their gradualist approach.

Despite some positive growth indicators, Rouhani faces an uphill struggle to convince voters that his economic plan is truly best for them.

A new constitutional amendment in Algeria failed to establish an independent election body to oversee each stage of the process, from the creation of electoral lists to the announcement of results. Despite their disappointment, most opposition parties have decided to take part in the legislative elections set for May 4

The first summit between the two leaders is unlikely to result in any major initiatives, though Abbas could complicate future peace prospects or ties with the United States if he fails to deliver on Trump's initial requests.

Watch leading American, Israeli, and Palestinian experts preview Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas' May 3 White House meeting with President Trump.

A softer tone in the Gaza group's new statement will mean nothing without parallel changes in its behavior.

A closer look at how Tehran plans to build (and hold onto) dual land corridors stretching across Iraq and Syria toward the Mediterranean.

Washington's working relations with the next president should not preclude it from leading the fight against the IRGC's missile proliferation and regional militancy.

No president has faced challenges like this since Reagan, and the patterns of the past thirty years are no longer a guide.

A former counterterrorism official outlines what governments are doing to address the threat of militants returning home from Syria and Iraq.

To decrease the likelihood of terrorist attacks, governments should complement traditional CT with de-securitized tools on the front and back end of the radicalization process.

April 27, 2017 Women in Saudi Arabia, like women all over the world, demand respect, equal rights, and to not be treated as second-class citizens. The highly-debated freedom to drive is but one of their requests, alongside their personal ambitions and a genuine desire to contribute to every area of

Greater reliance on green technology for domestic energy needs would allow Tehran to sell more oil and gas abroad, address the population's growing concerns about pollution, and fulfill its international climate commitments.