Arab & Islamic Politics

An Interview by Bernard Gwertzman, CFR.org Despite objections from the international community, as well as Turkey's stern warning that Syria should end its five-month crackdown (NYT) on protesters, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad continues to press on with brutal attacks around the country. What's needed to stop Assad is concerted international

The time has come for Washington to withdraw its ambassador from Syria, just as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and others have done.

U.S. and Saudi efforts to pressure injured Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh to agree to a peaceful transfer of power have been unsuccessful. To counter al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a new approach is required.

Unless conditions in Syria somehow magically revert to normalcy, Turkey will likely lead the international community in taking a tougher line against the brutal crackdown.

The United States should support Saudi King Abdullah's condemnation of President Bashar al-Asad's tactics against demonstrators even though it is an implicit call for a military coup.

Washington must find the leverage needed to ensure that Egypt's military-supervised transition does not intentionally strengthen Islamists at the expense of revolutionary forces.

The news of mass resignations by Turkey's military leadership is a sign that NATO's second-largest force is snapping under the weight of the ruling party.

Worldwide efforts aimed at Hezbollah's criminal rather than terrorist activities would weaken the group's support network and undermine its reputation at home and abroad.

In May 2011, a panel of Turkey experts debated likely scenarios for Turkey's social, political, and diplomatic future.