Policy Analysis

More than two weeks after the launch of the Muhammad Rasallah II operation, the Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs, or al-Hashd al-Shabi) reached the Syria-Iraq border west of Mosul on May 29, 2017. Hadi al-Ameri, leader of the Badr Organization and one of the most influential PMU commanders, announced from the

For a century now, the landmark British statement on Palestine has been cast as the isolated act of a single nation, but the real story is much different.

As Washington considers its next steps in northern Syria, it will need to weigh the geostrategic consequences of backing local Kurdish forces whose objectives may align or conflict with those of Russia, Iran, and various other actors.

The Sunni Gulf powers have long been spoiling for a fight with Iran, and this could be just the excuse they need.

Washington's best option is to let the Assad regime expend its energy pushing out toward the Euphrates while preparing for the advance to stall, as it appears likely to do.

Without a concrete plan for the aftermath of the city's fall, a very complex multilateral conflict may soon erupt in northern Iraq.

Whatever understandings the Trump administration reaches after the Islamic State is defeated, it needs to be clear about the stakes: if America does not stop the Iranians in Syria and Iraq, they will soon emerge as the region's dominant force.

Some U.S. officials share Saudi and Emirati concerns about Qatar's policies toward Islamist groups, Iran, and other destabilizing regional forces.

Depending upon whom you talk to, anywhere from six to sixteen ethnic groups constitute the Syrian population, with the main six groups being: Sunni Muslim; Shiite Muslim (Alawite and Ismaili); Christian; Druze; Kurd; Circassian; and the stateless Palestinian refugees and their descendants. The Christians are not foreign to the Syrian

As the Islamic State attempts to regenerate in tense multiethnic areas, Washington should view Arab-Kurdish dispute resolution as an essential counterterrorism mission, not an uncertain nation-building enterprise.

A row has erupted among GCC heavyweights only days after President Trump left Riyadh, potentially undermining the agreed policy of containing Iran.

The Muslim Brotherhood isn't behind the callous mass murder of Copts, but it's certainly fanning the flames of hatred.

His first overseas tour signaled a possible return to traditional American foreign policy, but all the symbolism will mean little without tough follow-up diplomacy to back it up.

Various players have been rushing to secure their spot in former Islamic State strongholds that will be strategically important to the next phase of the war.

May 25th, 2017 On his return from an extended African trip in March, Mohammed VI removed and replaced Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane with Saadeddine Othmani as head of government-designate. The Islamist party, realizing the seriousness of the situation, reviewed their political position and instructed Othmani to opt for malleability and

A veteran U.S. diplomat assesses President Trump’s message during his first regional tour and the implications for U.S. foreign policy.

Despite setbacks in Syria, and anxieties over a potential future conflict with Israel, the group has substantially widened its reach in recent years.

With President Donald Trump participating in his first international summits, several of America's EU and Gulf allies will be considering the future of Libya. Trump's statement in April that he sees no role for the United States in Libya not only signaled a lack of interest in the fragile state

Even as the Islamic State continues to lose territory, its evolution in Libya since 2014 should convince Western authorities not to underestimate its capacity for directing lethal attacks abroad.

A Turkey expert reads between the lines of the latest meeting between the two presidents, assessing whether policy changes are afoot on Syria, the Kurds, and other issues.