Policy Analysis

As the Kurds continue to pursue their goal of a contiguous territory in northern Syria, various nonmilitary factors will determine whether their nascent statelet is viable in the long term, including a host of demographic, economic, water, and oil issues.

Robert Malley wasn't mistaken in recounting how the president has conducted regional policy; the problem lies in the worrisome objectives that seem to underpin those policies, which could cause further damage through year's end.

A vote by Libya's HOR against recognizing the cabinet of the unity government adds a new threat to the country's stability, despite advances against the Islamic State.

Escalating hostilities between regime forces and Syrian Kurds in Hasaka will likely complicate Washington's campaign against the Islamic State, in which the Kurds and their Arab allies have been its most effective partners.

The League of Arab States has 22 members. The heads of state in all but one are Muslim. Up until two years ago, Lebanon was evidence that pluralism in the Arab region was more than just a pipe-dream. Since May 2014, however, with the mandate of the former president expiring

While Hezbollah's next war with Israel seems inevitable in the long term, recent events and rhetoric suggest that the group and its Iranian patron will focus on targeting Saudi interests in the meantime.

As part of its renewed effort to export the Islamic Revolution through armed proxies, Tehran has been recruiting and training Afghan and Pakistani fighters for Syria's battlefields, thereby giving them invaluable experience for potential future campaigns in other regional countries.

The initiative could boost the Palestinian economic sector in Area C during a period of diplomatic inactivity, but continued cooperation between Foreign Minister Liberman and the IDF could be tested if a rather quiet West Bank returns to violence.

Two Iran experts discuss the political and military implications of Tehran's unprecedented decision to allow Russian airstrikes from its territory.

While Washington should continue its efforts to engage Ammar al-Hakim's militia network, it should also be wary of the umbrella group's close cooperation with rabidly sectarian, anti-American actors controlled by Iran.

Although political tools to address Gaza's basic maladies are unfortunately limited at the moment, many existing economic tools could help right away, including initiatives related to power plants, water supplies, desalination, housing reconstruction, laborer permits, and more.

Kurdistan has been an island of relative stability and economic progress for nearly two decades, but continuing this success will require putting aside personal elitist rivalries and committing to political deal making and power sharing.

How has Hezbollah avoided a catastrophic quagmire in Syria and even exploited its campaign there to enhance its military capabilities? Two experts chart the group's evolution and its future threats to Lebanon, Israel, and regional order.

While the incoming government is unlikely to include all the major political parties, the reshuffle could help overcome delays in the country's ongoing reform efforts.

Lifting EU sanctions would undermine the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions and confirm to Putin that intransigence and defiance reap rewards.

The anniversary of the Rabaa massacre highlights the Muslim Brotherhood's fatal miscalculations following the 2013 coup, and the growing internal fissures that continue to divide the group today.

As Turkey vies for influence in Syria and Iraq and stability across its borders with those countries, it will need to make peace with its own Kurdish community.

This essay, the seventh in a series exploring prospects for political reform throughout the Middle East, examines the multiple factors involved in the disintegration of Yemen's civil society and internal security since the Arab Spring, as well as the current grassroots efforts to rebuild a democratic structure.

The current Iraqi political impasse offers an opportunity for moderate Iraqis to prevent the nation from slipping into a crisis that could be more dangerous than that brought about by the so-called ‘Islamic State’ — a crisis caused by the sectarianism of Iraq’s Islamist parties. It is time for Iraq’s

Although Hezbollah and its affiliates are highly unlikely to attack the Rio Olympics, the group's troubling activities in Brazil and neighboring countries should not be ignored.