Policy Analysis

Thursday came news that General Manaf Tlass, a senior commander of Syria's elite Republican Guard -- the troops most directly responsible for defending the embattled Bashar Assad regime -- had defected to Turkey. While the operational impact his departure on his particular unit may be inconsequential, the impact on the

The reported defection of a senior Sunni commander and friend of Assad, if true, would be a blow to the regime and an opportunity for Washington.

Something is stirring in Iraq. On July 3, car bombs ripped through mainly Shiite neighborhoods across the country, killing 36 people. It was the latest tragedy in a bloody month -- a prolonged political crisis has weakened the government in Baghdad, giving insurgent groups an opening to expand their operations

The struggle for supremacy between the Islamists and the military is second to a more important political battle: what kind of Islamic state Egypt will become.

Unless the army finds a way to relieve growing pressure on its capabilities and cohesion, it will likely collapse, sweeping away much of the regime in the process.

As post-revolutionary Egypt slowly shapes a new political landscape, it faces a resurgent security challenge from extremist groups. David Schenker examines recent incidents, security force capabilities, and the extent to which Islamist political blocs might influence the country's domestic and regional security posture. The following is a summary of the

David Pollock discussed Saturday's emergency meeting in Geneva on the crisis in Syria on C-SPAN's Washington Journal.

The Syrian government's fluid relationships with terrorist groups such as Hizballah and Hamas have been further complicated by the ongoing popular uprising against Bashar al-Assad. This article dissects several of these key relationships, documenting how they evolved before and during the uprising and forecasting how they might change upon Assad's

The Islamic Republic's greatest fear is neither a military attack on its shadowy nuclear program nor a forced suspension of uranium enrichment, but a cultural invasion in the form of Western modernity.

To bolster diplomacy with Iran, the United States must intensify intelligence operations and more actively use the military instrument to alter Tehran's threat calculus.

Given that political tensions continue to run high between Turkey and Israel, it would be inaccurate to describe their relations as good, or even on the mend. At the same time, booming trade ties and other economic indicators suggest that the two countries have great potential for a fresh start

Yet another dimension of the Syrian imbroglio is the role of the Kurdish population.

UN special envoy Kofi Annan recently issued invitations for a June 30 meeting in Geneva to deal with the Syria crisis. The participants -- whom Annan dubbed an "action group" -- include the five permanent members of the Security Council, Turkey, and Arab League members Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar. Annan's

A profile of Mohammad Beheshti, a founder of the Islamic Republic.

Although Turkey has found comfort in NATO’s security, Ankara’s long-term commitment to the alliance should not be taken for granted: Turkey has at least two strategic alternatives to NATO.

Iran sees itself in a strong position relative to the West and therefore believes it has little reason to be forthcoming in nuclear negotiations.

In the stultifying, 100-plus-degree heat of Tahrir Square on Sunday, where tens of thousands gathered to hear the results of Egypt's first relatively free presidential election, the sweaty, and occasionally fainting, masses were morbidly grim. Many in the Islamist-dominant crowd were convinced that Egypt's military junta would anoint former prime

The United States must strongly support Turkey even at the cost of diplomatic cooperation with Russia.

While the authority of Egypt's new president may be circumscribed, it is a mistake to underestimate his ability to influence political change at home and abroad. Before any further embrace of the Muslim Brotherhood leader, the Obama administration needs clarity on how Morsi's policies are likely to affect critical U.S. interests.