Ed Husain argues that while Muslims are rightly offended by the anti-Islam film, no government or population should respond by trying to stifle freedom of speech.

Ray Takeyh argues, "The United States will make genuine progress with Iran only when moderate leaders assume greater control of the state. An interim accord may provide time, but that time must be used to broaden the contours of Iran's political system."

Isobel Coleman writes about the mixed record that quotas for women's political participation in the Middle East have had, but notes that at least quotas ensure that women's perspectives are represented in government.

A new Freedom House report highlights that a lack of substantive institutional reform, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, has left states struggling to maintain democratic achievements.

Ed Husain argues that despite fervent protests in the Middle East, the U.S. should not forget that it still wields significant influence among Arab populations.

Obama acquitted himself well under terrible circumstances, but he must get to the bottom of the last week's five unresolved puzzles, from Libyan warnings to complicit guards, writes Leslie H. Gelb.

The Arab Spring severely weakened the narrative of Islamist extremists but they are now stirring anti-U.S. sentiments in fragile new democracies, says Mideast expert Ali Soufan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave this statement regarding Iran on September 14, 2012.

Ed Husain considers how recent protests in the Middle East reflect the challenges facing Arab societies in the aftermath of decades of authoritarian leadership.

Steven A. Cook says the news may look grim, but the United States is poised to remain the dominant power in the Middle East.

Examining the decline of violence in Iraq at the end of 2007, Stephen Biddle, Jeffrey A. Friedman, and Jacob Shapiro argue, "A synergistic interaction between the surge and the [Sunni] Awakening was required for violence to drop as quickly and widely as it did: both were necessary; neither was sufficient."

Ed Husain calls on Muslim communities to respond constructively to the controversial film about the Prophet Mohammed that has led to protests in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.

In the wake of the deadly attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya, Bobby Ghosh writes that the newly-formed democratic governments which replaced long-standing dictatorships, as a result of the Arab Spring, has contributed to greater instability and a more chaotic and unstable Middle East.

Isobel Coleman says the actions of Egypt's president Mohammed Morsi may help shape the outcome of the crisis in the region.

Ed Husain argues that the U.S. should counter the anti-American narrative behind protests in Egypt and Libya by building aid and trade relationships based on mutual interests.

Israeli authorities in the West Bank have long worried about stopping Palestinian terrorism.

Violence against U.S. diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt highlights the difficult road ahead for U.S. relations with these struggling states, says CFR's Robert Danin.

Isobel Coleman and Ed Husain discuss the details surrounding the recent attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and how these attacks could alter U.S. diplomacy and future assistance.

A nuclear-armed Iran would not make the Middle East more secure, argues Colin Kahl; it would yield more terrorism and pose a risk of a nuclear exchange.

Elliott Abrams says the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and attack on U.S. mission in Cairo raise troubling questions about leadership of these two countries.