Policy Analysis

In conventional political terms, Maliki likely remains the frontrunner for the premiership, but the argument that he is unable to stabilize the country by sharing power is once again gaining currency.

The Bowe Bergdahl controversy has brought renewed attention to the costs of trading for hostages, and how the United States, Israel, and other countries weigh those costs.

Deborah Kalb interviews Dr. Levitt on Hezbollah's potential involvement in Iraq, its commitment to Iran, and other issues.

Events on the battlefield will reveal the true effects of the crisis, but the ISIS campaign in Iraq could ultimately help the Syrian opposition and hurt the Assad regime.

Iran is more likely to accept a stringent nuclear accord if it perceives that Washington is willing to hold out at the negotiating table and is not looking for a quick exit from the region.

A U.S. contribution could help blunt ISIS advances in at least three ways.

The United States should not intervene militarily in Iraq's nascent civil war -- at least not yet.

Why ISIS brags about its brutal sectarian murders in Iraq.

The group's large-scale criminal enterprises make it particularly vulnerable to measures such as Congress's recently introduced Hezbollah International Financing Act of 2014.

Who is ISIS, why has Iraq's army crumbled, and how can the United States help? Three experts discuss these and other issues during a Washington Institute Policy Forum.

An expert on jihadist groups discusses whether ISIS will make more enemies than friends in Iraq as it continues its recent strategy of mixing violent repression with well-funded social work.

ISIS would likely welcome deeper involvement from the IRGC.

The civil war between Assad and his opponents has steadily transformed into a global jihad.

If U.S. policy was to "wait and see" how the Hamas-approved Palestinian reconciliation process would unfold in practice, the test is now.

Washington should use the State Department's upcoming annual "Trafficking in Persons" report to amplify international calls for strategic Persian Gulf partners to reform their expatriate labor practices.

Iran's proxy groups have been working closely with Iraqi government forces for some time and will likely become more important to Baghdad in light of recent events.

The full extent of Salafi jihadist inroads in the kingdom will likely remain unknown until the war in Syria ends, but the current indicators are troubling.

The group's approach to other areas it has seized -- a mix of harsh repression and soft-power outreach -- offers insight into how it might consolidate control in Mosul.

Iran's compartmented nuclear program and fears of sabotage have complicated efforts to address IAEA concerns about the program's suspected military side.

The ISIS invasion of Iraq reflects a wider war between Shiites and Sunnis for control of the Middle East.