Stephen Biddle examines how the death of Osama bin Laden will change a U.S. national security strategy and policy that has been shaped so profoundly by bin Laden's actions.
See more in Counterterrorism, U.S. Strategy and Politics
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.
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Terrorism
Most Arabs are eager to embrace open political systems, but in the aftermath of bin Laden's death, his sympathizers could try to fill a vacuum of weak leadership in places like Yemen, and even Syria and Libya, says CFR's Steven A. Cook.
See more in Middle East, Terrorism
Bin Laden's death dealt a blow to al-Qaeda, but the events of this year have shown the Arab masses have emphatically rejected the terror group's ideology as they seek democratic reforms, writes CFR's Ray Takeyh.
See more in Middle East, Counterterrorism
Ray Takeyh argues that Libya has a chance to emerge from the Qaddafi regime as a moderate, unitary state.
See more in Libya, Political Movements
Stephen Biddle and Michael O'Hanlon say that renewed fighting in Afghanistan may be a sign of progress.
See more in United States, Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare
Ray Takeyh says events happening outside of Libya are the more critical regional developments in the Arab world.
See more in Libya, Bahrain, Egypt, Political Movements
Stephen Biddle discusses the emergence of an "Obama Doctrine" in the president's response to the situation in Libya.
See more in Libya, Wars and Warfare, Presidency
Steven A. Cook warns that as violence worsens in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria, dreams of a democratic Middle East may be more of a nightmare in the short run.
See more in Libya, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, Democracy and Human Rights, Political Movements
Stephen Biddle and Michael O'Hanlon argue that headway toward a viable state is slow but worth sustaining in Afghanistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Stephen Biddle argues that the use of air power in Libya is "intervention on the cheap" that allows the United States to attempt to protect its values and interests in the region wihtout a serious commitment.
See more in Libya, Wars and Warfare, Foreign Policy History
Steven A. Cook argues that Egypt's youth groups must unite and participate in building a new Egypt, in order not to waste their efforts over the past two months.
See more in Egypt, Democracy and Human Rights, Political Movements
Ray Takeyh argues that the democratic movements in the Arab world offer the United States an opportunity to reclaim its values and redeem its interests in the Middle East.
See more in North Africa, Middle East, Counterradicalization, Political Movements, U.S. Strategy and Politics
U.S. supporters of a UN resolution aimed at protecting Libyan rebels should understand an entangling military commitment may now be underway, argues CFR's Ray Takeyh.
See more in Libya, Human Rights, Global Governance
The Saudi intervention to help quell a Shia-dominated uprising in neighboring Bahrain is misguided and the kingdom should instead focus on guiding the way to political modernization, writes CFR's Ray Takeyh.
See more in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Democracy and Human Rights
Steven A. Cook argues, "Obama must resist the urge to help Egyptian democrats - unless they demand it."
See more in Egypt, Political Movements, U.S. Strategy and Politics
Ray Takeyh says that the most effective means of disarming the Islamic Republic is to invest in the Green Movement in Iran.
See more in Iran, Democracy and Human Rights, Proliferation, Political Movements
The military leadership now running Egypt emerged from two weeks of anti-government protests with its reputation intact, but it has yet to prove commitment to the reforms demanded by the public, writes CFR's Steven Cook.
See more in Egypt, Democracy and Human Rights, Political Movements
Ray Takeyh says that what is unfolding in Arab streets is not an assertion of religious reaction but a yearning for democracy with all its burdens and rewards.
See more in Egypt, Democracy and Human Rights, Religion and Politics
Egypt's protests put it on the threshold of dramatic change but a range of factors, including the role of the military, will have a critical bearing on the outcome of the crisis, says CFR's Steven Cook.
See more in Middle East, Democracy and Human Rights
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