Policy Analysis

The KRG's independence referendum should be treated as a tactical bid to unify the Iraqi Kurds and strengthen their position toward Baghdad, but without jettisoning their gradualist approach.

A new constitutional amendment in Algeria failed to establish an independent election body to oversee each stage of the process, from the creation of electoral lists to the announcement of results. Despite their disappointment, most opposition parties have decided to take part in the legislative elections set for May 4

The first summit between the two leaders is unlikely to result in any major initiatives, though Abbas could complicate future peace prospects or ties with the United States if he fails to deliver on Trump's initial requests.

Watch leading American, Israeli, and Palestinian experts preview Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas' May 3 White House meeting with President Trump.

A closer look at how Tehran plans to build (and hold onto) dual land corridors stretching across Iraq and Syria toward the Mediterranean.

Washington's working relations with the next president should not preclude it from leading the fight against the IRGC's missile proliferation and regional militancy.

A softer tone in the Gaza group's new statement will mean nothing without parallel changes in its behavior.

No president has faced challenges like this since Reagan, and the patterns of the past thirty years are no longer a guide.

Getting governance right is the only way to prevent future waves of terrorism and warlordism, making efforts toward that end a matter of Iraqi and U.S. national security.

A former National Security Council director spells out how Washington should follow up on its efforts to deter Assad's atrocities, keeping in mind that a broad campaign to 'solve' the Syria conflict would be futile in the near term.

A former counterterrorism official outlines what governments are doing to address the threat of militants returning home from Syria and Iraq.

To decrease the likelihood of terrorist attacks, governments should complement traditional CT with de-securitized tools on the front and back end of the radicalization process.

April 27, 2017 Women in Saudi Arabia, like women all over the world, demand respect, equal rights, and to not be treated as second-class citizens. The highly-debated freedom to drive is but one of their requests, alongside their personal ambitions and a genuine desire to contribute to every area of

Greater reliance on green technology for domestic energy needs would allow Tehran to sell more oil and gas abroad, address the population's growing concerns about pollution, and fulfill its international climate commitments.

The Trump administration should treat the Gulf's quiet security coordination with Israel as a chance to counter Iranian and jihadist threats in the region, perhaps even parlaying it into progress on the Palestinian issue.

Across the Middle East, authoritarianism has found new life in the struggle against ever more radicalized militant groups in a landscape of dire threat. And entrenched in place is the skewed dynamic that simultaneously doomed autocracies to collapse following the Arab Spring uprisings while casting doubt on the long-term prospects

04/26/17 Last month, the governor of Kirkuk, Najmaldin Karim, raised the Kurdistan flag in the province, causing uproar inside Iraq and across the region. The Iraqi parliament denounced the unilateral decision, dismissing it as unconstitutional. The Kirkuk province itself was quick to condemn the action as well and asked for

Although the Palestinian leader is hesitant to discuss tougher U.S. requests and may be unable to deliver on them immediately, President Trump should make firm demands on difficult issues while offering to work with him on meeting them.

By encouraging Algiers to develop a more comprehensive approach to the persistent extremist threat in the south and east, Washington can also help manage the crises in Libya and Mali.

The emergence and legitimization of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU or Hashd al-Shaabi) represent a continued phenomenon in modern Iraqi history: a weak state and divided armies. For democracy to emerge, the army has to be united and neutral so that it can provide a space for competition among various