Democracy & Reform

Defeating today’s decentralized jihadi threat means treating the soil in which the weeds grow, not pulling them out one by one.

An Iraq expert offers detailed advice on how the U.S.-led coalition can avoid another Islamic State comeback, explaining the cascade of negative effects that have followed previous American withdrawals.

Syria Paper Explains How to Fight Terror, Stop Refugee Flow... In this new Transition 2017 paper, Institute expert Andrew J. Tabler argues that Syria remains de facto partitioned, making the establishment of safe zones in non-Assad-controlled areas the Trump administration's most expedient course of action. Moreover, it would further Washington's

A comprehensive look at the concrete steps the Trump administration can take to secure a vital ally that has shown signs of struggling under the weight of refugees and numerous other challenges.

Two leading experts on clerical succession in Iran and Iraq discuss how the passing of Ayatollah Sistani and Supreme Leader Khamenei would affect American interests across the Middle East.

The idea of formally designating the group as a terrorist organization raises technical and legal issues that could bolster already-marginalized Brotherhood members in unintended ways if handled improperly.

Their emerging confluence of interests will only exacerbate the internal problems caused by factionalism and failed governance in Iraqi Kurdistan.

This essay series explores how non-Islamist Arab political actors might facilitate progress toward reform and democratic transition.

If the Trump administration steers away from the internationally backed unity government and toward the Russian/Egyptian-backed strongman, Khalifa Haftar, it risks ending Libya's fragile accord and sparking another civil war.