Policy Analysis

August 9, 2017 To wish for change is very hard in a culture that fears transformation. For almost three decades Iraqi Kurdistan has seen the same government, the same faces, and the same ideas, with only the slightest changes in leadership or policies. Who is accountable for the crisis in

Watch an international panel of experts discuss the alarming increase in so-called lone wolf terrorism.

A discussion of Ankara's strained relationship with the European Union, its a la carte approach to NATO, and the weakening of formerly solid U.S.-Turkey military-to-military ties.

Watch an expert conversation about the fight against Taliban forces in Afghanistan and the lessons for battles against extremists elsewhere in the region.

IRGC hardliners have pushed for an aggressive response to U.S. measures, but they will have to convince the Supreme Leader that escalation does not pose too great a risk.

The KRG must commit, as its statehood referendum nears, to an independent judiciary, a strong parliament, and other hallmarks of a democratic society.

Despite collusion between the LAF and Hezbollah, the United States may still have an interest in funding the Lebanese military.

The cost-effective, nonpartisan institute can help promote broader reconciliation in Mosul and other areas now retaken from the jihadist group.

As the Islamic State devolves from governance to insurgency, NATO should stay close to its traditional role as a military alliance, not a counterterrorism agency.

Rather than seeking indiscriminate cuts to Palestinian aid, U.S. legislators must craft a bill that encourages the PA to reform its behavior.

To preserve his credibility as a diplomat, the secretary of state needs to put a win on the board.

The reported failure of the July 27 launch offers little solace to Western observers, since it likely anticipates future attempts as well as the potential for more-advanced technologies.

July 27, 2017 In his July 13 Fikra Forum article, “The United States and Saudi Arabia Have More In Common Than Mere Common Interests,” Fahad Nazer makes the jarring claim that U.S.-Saudi relations are now based not only on well-known security and economic interests, but also on shared “core values”

The Kuwaiti emir helping to mediate the conflict is regarded as one of the region's wise, experienced figures, but the country must demonstrate sensitivity to both sides as it continues to seek a resolution.

The Palestinian president has maneuvered his way back into the political discussion -- partly as a result of Israel's failure to act promptly on diplomatic understandings with Jordan -- but his call for "escalatory measures" could carry dire consequences.

July 26, 2017 On June 14 the Egyptian parliament approved the agreement delimiting the maritime borders between Egypt and Saudi Arabia as well as the transfer of the two disputed islands of Tiran and Sanafir, fueling anger among opponents of the agreement, with terms such as “treason” and “setback” making