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."

Ray Takeyh argues that, even two decades after his death, the legacy of Aya­tollah Ruhollah Khomeini still permeates policymaking in Iran—and often in ways Western observers are unable to understand.

Steven A. Cook says Egypt's new president, Mohamed Morsy, is outsmarting the generals, looking to be "much more than the weak transitional figure the SCAF has sought to make him."

Steven A. Cook says Egypt's feared domestic enforcer is dead, but not the regime he left behind.

Steven A. Cook says Mohamed Morsi's victory in Egypt's presidential election puts Islamists in control an office that was once the exclusive province of the military, but asks whether Sunday's Tahrir Square celebration was premature.

Ray Takeyh argues that Saudi Arabia may seem to be an island of stability in a tumultuous region, but it has problems that must not be ignored.

Steven A. Cook says that regardless of whether the June 17 decree by Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces was in fact a military coup, precedent in Turkey in Algeria shows that officers' interests are safeguarded, and society as a whole will pay.

Steven A. Cook says that as Hosni Mubarak lies on his deathbed, he leaves behind a broken Egypt.

Stephen Biddle, Jeffrey A. Friedman, and Jacob N. Shapiro examine the reasons for the reversal in 2007 from years of intense bloodshed in Iraq to almost four years of relative calm since then.

Ray Takeyh says that as part of any realistic diplomatic agreement with Iran, the United States and its allies must impose serious curbs on Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Even before Egyptians cast ballots for a new president this week, they will have engineered a surprising shift in power that reflects impressive strides, writes CFR's Steven Cook.

In his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Ray Takeyh discusses the conflicting priorities of Iran's Supreme Leader. Khamenei needs America as an enemy and a robust nuclear infrastructure to legitimize his rule. Yet, these enmities only further erode his economy and potentially threaten his hold on power.

Ray Takeyh says Iran's supreme leader must resolve the dilemma of having advanced Iran's nuclear program at the cost of eroding its economy.

Laurie Garrett and Steven A. Cook discuss the threats of Avian flu and foot and mouth disease in Egypt.

Steven Cook and Anya Schmemann say that Turkey is a rising regional and global power that's more democratic, prosperous, and politically influential than it was a decade ago. However, it's not well understood in the United States, and the U.S.-Turkey Relations Task Force Report seeks to provide a better understanding and fuller picture of this significant country as it continues its consequential transformation.

Ray Takeyh says that for now the Islamic Republic endures, but beneath the facade of order and stability the clerical state continues to face a deep crisis of legitimacy.

Steven A. Cook states that Iran's development of a nuclear weapon won't spur its neighbors to get the bomb.

Ray Takeyh discusses the displacement of moderate voices from corridors of power in the Islamic Republic.