Policy Analysis

As prices drop to around $80 per barrel, more attention is being focused on the mindset of Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter.

Given the violent message the group continues to convey in Arabic to viewers young and old, it will be difficult to achieve full Palestinian reconciliation, a long-term ceasefire with Israel, or large-scale reconstruction of Gaza.

The former chief of staff to Israel's defense minister discusses the pros and cons of the interim nuclear agreement with Iran and the prospects for continued negotiations past the upcoming deadline.

New polls show that the group has curried little favor in key countries, but the nuances behind the numbers have important implications for U.S. policy toward Syria, Iran, and other actors.

The pundits have it wrong -- the group's move toward Baghdad is a sign of desperation.

As a leading general once said of past insurgencies in the region, “The only way to defeat guerillas is with better guerillas."

In a September 10 television appearance, Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk suggested that Hamas might engage in direct talks with the Israelis. The surprising comment, made following Hamas's costly summer military engagement in Gaza, reflected the group's desperate need for a period of calm, with its weapons stockpiles depleted and

Ankara's security and political concerns may drive it to establish buffer zones unilaterally, while Washington's hesitance could cost it a coalition.

Officials at this weekend's summit should reinforce the message that Hamas is not a legitimate go-between for reconstruction assistance, while also pressing PA officials for practical answers about their plans in Gaza.

A local jihadist group has claimed a Libyan city in the name of ISIS, showing how the "Islamic State" could flout traditional notions of territorial contiguity by expanding its "borders" well beyond Iraq and Syria.

The quick fall of Yemen's capital could push the country toward the Syrian model of sectarian strife, but it also presents an opportunity for reform led by a new political player.

Washington is relying on local forces to carry out ground operations following airstrikes against ISIS, but disunity within the Kurdish ranks may hamper their ability to defeat the insurgents.

October 8, 2014 What is in a name? Apparently a lot. Branding is as important for terrorist groups as it is for companies, if not more so. A brand – its style, symbols, and words – can assist in detracting enemies, recruiting fighters and supporters, attracting followers, inspiring loyalty, raising

Turkey's primary objective in Syria is to oust the Assad regime, so it is unlikely to materially help the besieged enclave without U.S. and Kurdish commitments toward that goal.

Political differences between Gulf countries are more complex than simply "Qatar vs. the rest."

Coordinated Israeli, Jordanian, and allied assistance in the south could boost the moderate Syrian rebels there, stave off an extremist takeover, and facilitate the ongoing international campaign against ISIS.

Three distinguished scholars and former U.S. officials discuss how the Policy Planning Staff in the State and Defense Departments can draw on past lessons to address regional problems in Syria, Iran, and elsewhere.

Other Gulf countries joined the fight against terrorism financing once they perceived a real security risk inside their borders, but Qatar's extraordinary financial and political patronage has deterred that threat thus far.

Lebanon's precarious state has worsened as ISIS beheads citizens and holds troops and police hostage.

Tunisia will need U.S. support for its continuing, fragile transition away from authoritarianism.