Ideas
Democracy's Future in the Middle East
Across the region, power struggles mask a more fundamental divide over the meaning of the modern nation-state. By Shadi Hamid
Ideas
What To Do About Syria
Several leading experts gathered at the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss what options the United States has to help end the civil war in Syria.
Threats
Saudi Arabia Unveils Ballistic Missiles in Military Parade, But Why Now?
For the first time ever, Saudi Arabia showed off ballistic missiles it's had since the 1980s. To find out why, analysts point 1,200 miles northeast of Riyadh. By Rachel Oswald
Threats
Why Assad’s Re-Election Campaign Matters
The Syrian president wants to impose a solution to the country's crisis—on his terms. By Andrew Tabler
Threats
Number of Foreign Fighters in Syria Jumped from 800 to 8,000 in the Past Year
Once a two-sided war, CENTCOM’s Gen. Austin calls today’s Syria ‘the most complex problem I’ve seen.’ By Kevin Baron
Policy
Why Saudi Arabia's (Still) Upset with Obama over Iran, Syria and Egypt
Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia 'didn't solve' serious differences. By Bernard Gwertzman
Ideas
Iraq’s Do-Nothing Legacy
The 11th anniversary of the Iraq invasion finds U.S. leaders paralyzed and gun-shy to intervene anywhere in the Mideast. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Threats
Q&A with Dennis Ross: How Ukraine Affects the Middle East
Veteran diplomat Dennis Ross says the U.S. response to Ukraine will have strong reverberations across the Middle East. By Bernard Gwertzman
Science & Tech
Syrian Electronic Army Threatens to Hack CENTCOM
A group of anonymous hackers backing the Syrian government is threatening to take down U.S. Central Command. By Patrick Tucker
Policy
Obama Says the 'Window Is Closing' for a Mideast Peace Deal
In an interview with The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, President Obama discusses Iran, Syria and urgency of a Mideast peace deal. By Matt Ford
Threats
A Question for Obama's Syria Critics: What Are the Alternatives?
The civil war in Syria is horrific, but a strategy superior to President Obama's has yet to emerge. By Steve Clemons
Threats
Al-Qaeda Isn't Dying: It's 'Morphing and Franchising'
DNI James Clapper and DIA Director Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn concede that al-Qaeda is not on the "path to defeat." By Sara Sorcher
Threats
Is Syria Now a Direct Threat to United States?
The militancy nurtured by the civil war appears to be spreading—just as diplomacy falters. By David Rohde
Ideas
Let NATO Keep the Peace in Palestine
Washington should embrace Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ proposal for American-led NATO peacekeepers. By John Deni
Threats
The U.S. Dilemma in Egypt
There's a lot of worry in the United States that Egypt is going down a path of persistent instability. By Bernard Gwertzman
Ideas
Can Another ‘Anbar Awakening’ Save Iraq?
Only disgruntled Sunni tribes can halt Iraq’s descent into another sectarian hell. By James Kitfield
Policy
The Syria Talks Are Doomed Without Iran
Why Washington must make harder choices and include Iran to save Syria. By David Rohde
Policy
As Geneva II Convenes, One Unarmed Syrian Shadow Government Waits
The forgotten Temporary Syrian Parliament, or TSP, has no guns and no outside money. Here's why the United States should promote them in any Syrian opposition coalition. By Will McCants and Jomana Qaddour
Threats
What It's Like on the Ground in Iraq Today
In an interview, veteran journalist Jane Arraf says Syrian fighters are crossing the border at will and Anbar's deep sectarian divisions are growing in Baghdad.
Ideas