Syria’s Ba’athist regime has responded to widening pro-reform protests by tightening its crackdown, but this approach is unlikely to quiet restive Syrians like it has in the past, writes CFR’s Mohama…

It’s unclear whether Muammar Qaddafi’s regime will survive after a failed, but brutal, crackdown on protesters in Libya. But if Qaddafi goes, CFR’s Robert Danin says Libya lacks the elements needed f…

In this Markets and Democracy Brief, Mark Lagon examines the uneven history of promoting democracy in U.S. foreign policy and offers lessons for how the United States can best advance democracy today…

The killing of Punjab’s governor, Salman Taseer, was symptomatic of widespread religious intolerance and fanaticism in Pakistan, says CFR’s Ed Husain.

Iraq’s new parliament convened Monday, but bargaining on a coalition government continues. The United States can facilitate, but not push, the outcome, says CFR’s Brett McGurk.