Arab World

'Don't Try to Convince Yourself That You're in Control'

Afghan lessons for arming the Syrian rebels from the CIA's mujahideen point man.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JUNE 14, 2013

Regime Change in Qatar

Knee-deep in Syria's civil war and surrounded by family quarrels, Qatar's emir is looking to hand over the country to his 33-year-old son.

BY SIMON HENDERSON | JUNE 14, 2013

We're Not Building a 'Police State'

Why Egypt’s draft NGO law is transparent, fair, and a big step forward for democracy.

BY KHALED AL-QAZZAZ | JUNE 11, 2013

Syria Is Now Saudi Arabia's Problem

The battle for a town on the Lebanese border marks the kingdom's first attempt to lead Syria's fractured opposition.

BY HASSAN HASSAN | JUNE 6, 2013

Palestine's Nothing Man

The new prime minister in Ramallah is a political novice -- and that's exactly why President Mahmoud Abbas chose him.

BY JONATHAN SCHANZER | JUNE 4, 2013

The Struggle for the Heart of Istanbul

It's becoming clear that it will take more than one chaotic weekend to derail Prime Minister Erdogan's plans.

BY JUSTIN VELA | JUNE 3, 2013

Kerry's Syrian Quagmire

As the secretary of state tries to get the rebels and the regime to the negotiating table, a State Department official says it would take "sarin gas being lobbed at Tel Aviv" for Washington to take military action.

BY GAYLE LEMMON | MAY 31, 2013

Political Idol

A new reality television competition is booming in Beirut and Ramallah: democratic politics.

BY FERNANDE VAN TETS | MAY 28, 2013

Speak No Evil

Why Obama shouldn't have given that big drone speech.

BY AARON DAVID MILLER | MAY 28, 2013

Revenge Landmines of the Arab Spring

In the mountains of Yemen, a strange and deadly face-off between elite soldiers and rebellious villagers could have big international consequences.

BY JOE SHEFFER | MAY 24, 2013

The War for the Arab World

Sunni-Shiite hatreds are the least of the Middle East's problems -- it's the struggle within the Sunni world that will define the region for years to come.

BY MARC LYNCH | MAY 23, 2013

Metternich in Baghdad

No, America hasn't "lost" Iraq. But a dangerous realpolitik is the new normal in Baghdad.

BY RAMZY MARDINI | MAY 20, 2013

Dead on Arrival

I co-wrote the Arab Peace Initiative. And I doubt Kerry's good-faith attempt to revive it will succeed.

BY MARWAN MUASHER | MAY 16, 2013

Stepping Up to the Plate

Can Arab states get the peace process back on track?

BY AARON DAVID MILLER | MAY 8, 2013

'The Law of Politics' According to Sergei Lavrov

An exclusive interview with Russia's top diplomat.

INTERVIEW BY SUSAN B. GLASSER | MAY/JUNE 2013

The Driver

An exclusive look inside the mysterious death and life of the world's most dangerous terrorist not named Osama bin Laden.

BY MARK PERRY | MAY/JUNE 2013

Why the Sheikhs Will Fall

The Gulf monarchies were once thought immune to the uprisings sweeping the Arab world. Not anymore.

BY CHRISTOPHER M. DAVIDSON | APRIL 26, 2013

Mrs. Ballarin's War

The improbable tale of a West Virginia heiress the Pentagon hired to take on Somalia's jihadists.

BY MARK MAZZETTI | APRIL 15, 2013

Did We Get the Muslim Brotherhood Wrong?

Nope. But it's time to revise our assessments.

BY MARC LYNCH | APRIL 10, 2013

The Arab League Actually Does Something

Once a laughingstock, the Arab world’s political body is closing ranks against Bashar al-Assad.

BY MICHAEL STEPHENS | MARCH 27, 2013

Why Pro Wrestling Is Perfect for the Modern Middle East

It’s safer than sex.

BY JUSTIN D. MARTIN | MARCH 22, 2013

The Tip of the Democracy Spear

The U.S. military doesn’t exactly have an unblemished record when it comes to promoting democracy. Is there a way to change that?

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | MARCH 21, 2013

In Power, But Not in Control

The Muslim Brotherhood may have the votes -- for now -- but Egypt is a ship without a rudder.

BY ERIC TRAGER | MARCH 21, 2013

Syria Is Already More Violent Than Iraq

And its destruction will define the Middle East for years to come.

BY DAVID KENNER | MARCH 20, 2013

What Obama Must Do in Israel

It’s time to stop focusing on personalities and get down to the more important business of identifying common interests.

BY SAMUEL R. BERGER | MARCH 19, 2013

Awakening the Demons

There is no Arab Spring coming to Iraq. But sectarian protests could tear this fragile country apart.

BY DAVID ALPHER | MARCH 18, 2013

The Iraq War That Might Have Been

Ten years on, newly published secret documents shed new light on potential turning points the United States missed.

BY MICHAEL R. GORDON, BERNARD E. TRAINOR | MARCH 12, 2013

Tehran Tanking

Iran's popularity in the Arab world is way down, but sectarianism is on the rise.

BY MARC LYNCH | MARCH 7, 2013

The Democracy Boondoggle in Iraq

The U.S. spent billions promoting democracy in Iraq. Now the official verdict is in: It was all for nothing.

BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | MARCH 5, 2013

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Democracy is in retreat. And there's a surprising culprit.

BY JOSHUA KURLANTZICK | MARCH 4, 2013