Policy Analysis

Almost three weeks into Operation Cast Lead, Israel clearly intends to compel Hamas to accept an end to its attacks on targets in southern Israel. If Hamas does not comply, Israel will destroy as much of Hamas's organizational capacity as possible, leaving the group in a significantly weakened position. To

On January 31, most Iraqis will go to the polls and express their political preferences in provincial elections, but four of Iraq's provinces -- the three governorates within the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and Kirkuk province -- will not hold elections. Kirkuk's noninclusion is a symbol of its unresolved status

Egypt has long been considered a "bridge" between the East and West. Yet, two weeks into the Israeli campaign against Hamas in Gaza, Egypt is probably better known for its role as a tunnel, serving as the primary smuggling route for Hamas weapons into militant-controlled territory. As pressure mounts for

Matthew Levitt, director of The Washington Institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, addressed a terrorism and homeland security forum at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on January 13, 2009. The event was cosponsored by the Council on Global Terrorism, Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies

On January 9, 2009, David Brooks, Peter Beinart, and Robert Satloff addressed a Policy Forum luncheon at The Washington Institute to discuss the Obama administration and its likely approach to the Middle East. Mr. Brooks is a New York Times columnist and regular commentator on both The Newshour with Jim

As the Gaza war enters a bloody new phase -- and world pressure mounts for a ceasefire -- it is becoming clear that the key to a solution is neither Hamas nor Israel, but Egypt. Strategically placed on the southern border of Gaza, Egypt is the primary smuggling route of

On January 9, 2009, David Brooks, Peter Beinart, and Robert Satloff addressed a Policy Forum luncheon at The Washington Institute to discuss the Obama administration and its likely approach to the Middle East. Dr. Satloff is executive director of the Washington Institute; the following is a summary of his remarks

When the dust settles in Gaza, the Obama administration will take up the mantle of moving the two sides toward an Israeli-Palestinian peace. American efforts must focus on strengthening the capabilities of the Palestinian party upon whom hope for peace can rest, the Palestinian Authority, and ensuring the stability of

The New York Post interviewed thirteen Middle East experts and current and former policy practitioners about the Gaza conflict. The following is a contribution by Michael Singh, a Boston-based associate fellow of The Washington Institute and former National Security Council senior director for Middle East Affairs. Read the complete article

Most analyses of the Arab reaction to the Gaza Strip conflict have generally emphasized either widespread popular sympathy for Palestinian suffering and revulsion at Israel's tactics, or political divisions about how to respond. Although both points are accurate, two important developments so far have been overlooked: only a handful of

Iranian hardliners are using the Gaza Strip crisis as an opportunity to restate their claim as the true Muslim leaders by denouncing Arab governments as complicit with Israel, stirring up the regime's supporters throughout the world, and suppressing Iranian civil society groups. Iran, while facing international pressure over its nuclear

As the conflict in the Gaza Strip rages, several international entities have called for the deployment of a third-party force to patrol the Rafah border area between Egypt and Gaza. Suggestions range from simple border monitors to a full peace enforcement operation; if configured and chartered properly, this force may

The Bush administration's outgoing homeland security advisor shares a comprehensive briefing on the state of U.S. counterterrorism since 9/11.

Despite being under geographic siege and financial sanction, Hamas was still able to smuggle some 80 tons of explosives, roadside bombs and longer-range rockets into Gaza over the course of the past cease-fire. Were it not for that success, Hamas would not have been able to continue firing rockets at

On issues relevant to U.S. policy, there are no substantive divisions between the group's moderate and radical elements, only tactical differences.

Although Israel's current military action is directed against a Hamas regime that has controlled the Gaza Strip since its 2007 coup, a small coterie of other militant Islamist organizations has emerged in the Strip over the past two years. These Salafi-jihadist groups are small and have no direct ties to

The breakdown of the tenuous and ill-fated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and Israel's subsequent incursion into the Gaza Strip not only pose a challenge to the outgoing and incoming U.S. administrations but also mark a portentous moment in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although the clash may end in a stalemate

The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has exacerbated the already strained relationship between Hamas and Egypt, and threatens to further undermine their ties. Under increasing stress from Israeli air operations over the past week, Hamas has been pressing Egypt to open the Rafah Crossing to provide sanctuary to ordinary Gazans

Operation Cast Lead, initiated in response to resumed Hamas rocket attacks on communities in southern Israel, represents Israel's most furious attack on Hamas since the terrorist group assumed control of Gaza. For the past six months, an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire maintained an uneasy status quo, during which time Hamas smuggled some

The following is the English-language abstract of an article originally published in Farsi. Read the full text of this article in the original Farsi. The Iranian clergy in contemporary Iran bears little, if any, similarity with its traditional counterpart known as "Ulama." The financial resources, social authority and networking, organizational