Kenneth M. Pollack and Ray Takeyh state, ""... it is time to appreciate that the only manner of inducing meaningful change in the Islamic Republic's behavior without the resort to war is to otherwise imperil its very existence."

In the wake of Mubarak's ouster experts discuss the future of Egypt and the reverberations in the Arab world and beyond.

From a military perspective, what would be required for a containment scheme to successfully deter a nuclear Iran? In this Working Paper, sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Kenneth M. Pollack presents formal and informal structures requisite to effectively deter a postnuclear Iran. Pollack's robust recommendations take into consideration important lessons learned during the Cold War.

As U.S. combat forces begin to withdraw from Iraq's cities, expert Kenneth M. Pollack says he remains "very concerned" about the political situation in Iraq. He stresses the need for the "continued attention" of the United States to bring about a stable Iraq.

Kenneth M. Pollack of the Brookings Institution says that he is concerned that the U.S. and political establishment" increasingly feels that Iraq is heading toward victory" even though "Iraq still is a very troubled country."

In Restoring the Balance: A Middle East Strategy for the Next President, experts from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution propose a new, nonpartisan Middle East strategy drawing on the lessons of past failures to address both the short-term and long-term challenges to U.S. interests.

The situation in Iraq is improving. With the right strategy, the United States will eventually be able to draw down troops without sacrificing stability.

From the September/October 2008 issue of Foreign Affairs: The next U.S. president will face problems that will require strength and a renewed sense of national purpose to solve.

This audio includes readings of selected articles from the September/October 2008 issue of Foreign Affairs.

“Having recently returned from a research trip to Iraq, we are convinced that a total withdrawal of combat troops any time soon would be unwise,” write Stephen Biddle, Michael E. O’Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack. Although recent success in Iraq has prompted more calls for withdrawal, a continued American presence is needed to preserve the fragile peace in that country.

Kenneth M. Pollack, a leading expert on Iraq, says his latest trip to Iraq showed the country was “a mess,” but there were also significant improvements on the ground as a result of the U.S. “surge” policy.

Kenneth M. Pollack says Democrats should give President Bush’s new Iraq plan a chance, but also prepare alternatives.

The Brookings Institution says that ‘with each passing day, Iraq sinks deeper into the abyss of civil war.’ It considers how the United States could stop the slide into all-out war, and what actions the US should take if it becomes clear that Iraq cannot be saved from such a conflict. The report considers the history of civil wars in the recent past, and draws a set of lessons regarding how civil wars can affect the interests of other countries, even distant ones like the United States, and then used those lessons to fashion a set of recommendations for how Washington might begin to develop a new strategy for an Iraq caught up in all-out civil war.

Listen to Kenneth M. Pollack, senior fellow and director of research at the Brookings Institution, and Ray Takeyh, the Council's senior fellow for Middle East studies, discuss the domestic forces inside Iran that influence it's foreign policy decisions.

Ray Takeyh, Kenneth Pollack, and Barbara Slavin provide an inside glimpse of the domestic politics that shape the country’s actions on the world stage, as well as some policy prescriptions for dealing with Iran. 

A leading proponent of invading Iraq, Kenneth M. Pollack now fears Iraq could end up worse off than it was under Saddam Hussein.

Listen to a discussion on what the United States should do in response to Iran developing a nuclear program and how Iran is likely to react to each policy option.

A discussion on what the United States should do in response to Iran developing a nuclear program, and Iran’s likely responses to each policy option. Part three of a three-part symposium.

Watch a discussion on what the United States should do in response to Iran developing a nuclear program, and Iran’s likely responses to each policy option. Part three of a three-part symposium.