Policy Analysis

A compendium of Institute analysis on the evolving challenges and opportunities that will face the Trump administration in the Middle East.

The inevitable outcome in Aleppo shows how the Syrian revolution has been betrayed first and foremost by Islamism in all its expressions, particularly international jihadism.

Why “wolf”? Because wolves are praised by both Arabs and the West for their courage, opportunism, and perfidy.

The mounting risk of a mass-casualty missile strike in southern Saudi Arabia should intensify U.S. efforts to deescalate the war.

In a candid conversation, recently retired American military leaders assessed the foreign policy challenges confronting the United States as President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to take office.

Absent preventive measures, the Mosul campaign could increase Tehran's regional influence and embolden its proxies to act against U.S. forces in Iraq.

If the kingdom wants its latest economic reform plan to succeed, it will have to change the culture of its labor force, which is a difficult proposition at best.

Officials in Washington and abroad should pay close attention to the group's self-styled 'ambassadors,' who are increasingly being implicated in criminal and terrorist activities around the world.

Tehran is ramping up its sanction-busting military support to the Houthis, necessitating a coordinated international response to close off Red Sea access to antigovernment forces.

In the war on terrorism, intelligence gathering is integral for any and all counterterrorism policies and/or operations. The effectiveness of this apparatus, however, is based largely on the sustained coordination of military, police, and judicial sectors of law-enforcement. With the constant threat of al Qaeda looming domestically, Algeria has increased

Reconciling Israeli security with Palestinian sovereignty will likely require a fresh U.S. approach, so the incoming administration would be wise to heed certain lessons from past failures.

The Assad regime and Russia seem eager to establish full control of the city before the Trump administration takes office, essentially presenting the new president with a fait accompli on the war's most notorious front.

November 30, 2016 OPEC’s non-official meeting in Algeria during the end of September was the most prominent event for a country in dire economic crisis. The importance of the meeting stems from a series of visits by Algerian Energy Ministry Noureddine Boutarfa to major petroleum-producing in an attempt to implement

Despite pressure from OPEC to cap its oil production, the Iraqi government can neither afford a cut nor enforce it upon the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Continued passivity would only reinforce the perception that the United States is acquiescing to Russia and Iran’s regional plans, so the incoming administration should prepare a series of robust diplomatic and military steps.

While the new legislature is hardly a harbinger of deep reform, broader inclusiveness, or greater personal freedoms, it should be considered another welcome exception to the 'rule' that Arab democracy tends to produce instability, Islamist control, or sectarian oppression.

Saudi Arabia's reluctance to show weakness toward Iran likely means no real agreement will result from this week's OPEC meeting.

After numerous postponements, the upcoming conference could inject energy into the aging movement and stabilize its ranks, but not if the internal elections exclude large constituencies or come across as rigged.

While liberating territory from the Islamic State is vital, the consequences of ceding portions of Iraq and Syria to de facto Iranian control could be just as dire as leaving them in jihadist hands.

Amid uncertainties about the incoming U.S. administration's approach to the Middle East and the nuclear deal, Tehran and Beijing appear to be entering a new era in their strategic partnership, including the potential transfer of advanced weapon systems down the road.