Arab & Islamic Politics

The system that will likely be put in place for Egypt's next parliamentary elections may sideline new parties, but this could help consolidate the country's scattered political spectrum.

The Arab Spring has recalibrated the regional system by ushering in a tri-axial Middle East.

This two-part PolicyWatch discusses how the jihadist group ISIS has gained a foothold in Syria. Part I outlined the group's recent successes; this installment describes how it could face popular discontent if it attempts to enforce its socially conservative agenda or commit high-profile abuses. Despite its successes in Syria so

This two-part PolicyWatch assesses how ISIS has gained a foothold in Syria by learning from past jihadist mistakes in Iraq. Part I discusses the group's recent successes; Part II discusses jihadist mistakes in other countries and whether ISIS is repeating them. In August, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

It is time to ask those who oppose Syria strikes if they are comfortable with a position that will likely rule out any diplomatic outcome on the Iranian nuclear program.

On September 3, 2013, Matthew Levitt and Frederic C. Hof addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Dr. Levitt is director of the Institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence and author of the new book Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God . Ambassador Hof, a

Members of the Syrian opposition are correct in describing Alawite army general Ali Habib Mahmoud's "defection" to Turkey over the past few days as a "blow to the morale" of the Assad regime. He is the most prominent military official to leave Syria since the July 2012 departure of Brig

Cutting aid to Egypt would only hurt U.S. interests there without helping democracy, stability, or any other cause.

Achieving U.S. objectives in Syria would help pressure Tehran into making hard choices regarding both the Assad regime and the Iranian nuclear program.