Policy Analysis

Jihadist groups do not buy into the democratic process and are attempting to consolidate Islamic rule in their countries one charitable act at a time.

If the Supreme Leader decides to get serious about nuclear negotiations, he will likely take a more public role in the process than before, if only to maintain control of Iran's increasingly turbulent domestic politics.

Nearly two years after the onset of the Arab Spring, four leaders have been toppled, a bloody civil war is raging in Syria with no end in sight, and the status quo in other Arab states is fragile. Where does all of this lead? In this paper, Michael Herzog assesses

As the Assad regime's increasingly precarious military situation becomes irreversible, outside assistance could help deter Damascus from extreme escalation.

On November 8, 2012, Washington Institute executive director Robert Satloff addressed a Policy Forum along with Dennis Ross and Jim Jeffrey. The following is an edited version of Dr. Satloff's comments; the full event can be viewed in the above video. If President Obama tasked a courageous National Security Council

Don't believe the loose talk of President Obama exacting vengeance on Benjamin Netanyahu -- the two leaders need each other too much to let old grudges get in the way.

How will those in the region -- allies, adversaries, and everyone in between -- react to the election results? Watch online as veteran policy practitioners and scholars explore the priorities and challenges of the second Obama administration.

Twenty-nine years ago, Hezbollah blew up the U.S. Marines and French army barracks in Beirut, both compounds under the aegis of the Multinational Force sent to Lebanon as peacekeepers to oversee the evacuation of the Palestine Liberation Organization from Beirut. The barracks bombings left 241 Americans and 58 French dead

Amid talk of personnel shakeups and foreign policy retooling, a former Obama advisor suggests how the president should choose his top aides and cabinet secretaries.

The bilateral relationship is based on tangible, steadily increasing security and economic interests, not just shared values.

Satloff: Obama Administration to Test Iran with 'Grand Deal'

Assumptions about who will be the future ruler of Saudi Arabia -- the world's largest oil exporter and self-declared leader of the Islamic world -- need to be revised after the sudden resignation of one of the royal family's senior-most members. Today's surprise announcement that Interior Minister Prince Ahmed bin

In September 2012, anticipating nationwide local elections in 2013 (later rescheduled) and a presidential election in 2014, members of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) held internal voting to determine who will guide them through the coming transition. Results from the convention, which were strongly influenced by Prime Minister

So far, the Obama administration has chosen the wrong way to influence Egypt's new Islamist leaders.

The emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, recently became the first head of state to visit Gaza since it came under the control of Hamas in 2007. In an email interview, Simon Henderson, director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute, discussed the Qatari leader's visit.

In times of conflict, being impartial does not necessarily translate into neutrality; silence in such circumstances may signify taking a side. This is indeed the Shi’ite clergy’s narrative about the violence in Syria.

How America's first foray into the modern Arab world can help solve its current entanglements.

Israel's non-strike against Iran means it is keeping its options open while avoiding once-familiar tensions with the United States.

Convincing Hamas to contain Gaza's increasingly violent jihadists will likely require international pressure on the group's backers in Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar.

Although Syria has long been a vexing policy issue for the United States, intervening after the election to help end the Assad regime should not be a difficult decision.