Democracy & Reform

Although the cessation of governance-related media releases suggests a full retreat, IS remains active in military campaigns and eager to rise again by taking advantage of local grievances.

If Iraqi Shia reject Tehran's call for a unified bloc in next year's elections, it could have welcome implications for the future of Iranian influence in Baghdad -- and Beirut.

A woman's right to drive has much to say about the influence of the kingdom's hardline clerics and the prospects for deep, lasting reform.

Cultural initiatives serve key defense goals, but Baghdad should steer clear of programs that turn the arts into a mouthpiece of the state or a divisive sectarian tool.

Rather than leaving the job to Europe, Washington can articulate a clear Libya policy at the September UN General Assembly meeting, thereby making a political deal more likely to achieve and enforce.

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

With Secretary of State Rex Tillerson now in Kuwait to support its mediating role in a severe intra-Arab crisis, an analysis of that country's unusual political and social dynamics is particularly timely. Relative to its neighbors, Kuwait is indeed a sort of middle ground in terms of several key issues

The United States should work with Muhammad bin Salman, the new crown prince, as he pushes for change.

New polling data indicates that West Bank and Gaza residents are not as hostile to President Trump's posture as Americans probably assume.