Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has now initiated a third, pragmatic stage of Palestinian nationalism by building institutions and counting down to statehood.

Robert M. Danin argues that the Arab League's recent emergence as a regional actor in the Middle East is a welcome development.

Robert Danin argues that by adopting a publicly confrontational approach, the Palestinians risk undermining the goodwill and security that Fayyad's nation-building program has so painstakingly created.

Robert Danin argues that by adopting a publicly confrontational approach, the Palestinians risk undermining the goodwill and security that Fayyad's nation-building program has so painstakingly created.

Which policies have worked and which ones need work ten years after the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history? CFR experts examine ten issues that have preoccupied U.S. planners.

While U.S. efforts to forge a better relationship with the Muslim world are important, it will also take leadership within that world to challenge the myths that lead to anger and disapproval toward the United States.

As rebels try to strengthen their hold on Tripoli, the odds of a peaceful, democratic transfer of power in Libya are long and the need for ongoing international intervention is very likely, says CFR's Robert Danin.

U.S. calls for Syria's Assad to step down can only be realized if combined with stronger measures to forge a diplomatic coalition and drive a wedge between Assad and his supporters, says CFR's Robert Danin.

A potential civil war in Syria, a broken state in Libya, and Egypt's transition of power loom as chief Mideast challenges for Washington. CFR's Robert Danin reviews the path for U.S. planners.

The four speeches given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama highlight the lack of agreement and level of mistrust between the leaders, and emphasize the need for better channels of communication, says CFR's Robert Danin.

President Obama's Mideast speech included more assertive language in support of self-determination and a detailed outline of terms for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement. CFR's Elliott Abrams, Robert Danin, and Steven A. Cook assess the impact of the speech.

Robert Danin argues that President Obama, in his speech on the Middle East, provided an American response to the Middle East uprisings that was bold and ambitious, but his plans for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement lacked a clear way forward.

President Obama asserted U.S. support for self-determination for the people of the Mideast and broke new ground on a territorial basis for Palestinian-Israeli talks, but tough challenges await on many fronts, says CFR's Robert Danin.

With envoy George Mitchell's departure, U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict changes, from the quest for an end of the conflict to the search for a strategy to manage the current crisis, says CFR's Robert Danin.

Robert M. Danin argues that Hamas and Fatah have unified, but not yet reconcile.

Robert Danin, Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, says the deal between the secularist Fatah and radical Islamist Hamas factions will effectively put Obama administration efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on hold.

Osama bin Laden's death is a real and symbolic blow to al-Qaeda, and its stature in the Middle East is already diminished by the pro-democracy movements in the region, but the group remains lethal. Seven CFR experts discuss.

The mixed reactions in the Mideast to Osama bin Laden's killing by U.S. forces highlights a region in flux and a terror movement symbolically, but not overwhelmingly, weakened, writes CFR's Robert Danin.

Israelis and Palestinians are watching nervously to see how the tumult in the region shakes out, but with both sides using more advanced weapons technology and the peace process in the doldrums, the U.S. needs to reengage, says CFR's Robert Danin.

Uncertainty pervades Cairo as the country weighs its post-Mubarak democratic options. Washington should stand ready to assist an Egyptian-led transformation, writes CFR's Robert Danin.

With the United States now militarily engaged in Libya and U.S. allies seemingly at odds over goals, it is imperative that President Obama more clearly define the nation's objectives and the means to achieve them, says CFR's Robert Danin.

President Obama needs to end his ambiguity about Libya or risk losing credibility in the Middle East, where the Saudi move into Bahrain has added to volatility, says CFR's Robert Danin.

As the Libyan conflict escalates, CFR's Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Robert Danin, warns that the U.S. must have a clear objective to for the country and the region.