A decisive U.S. response to Russian provocation in Ukraine could create new opportunities for the United States to make headway on a number of fronts in the Middle East, says expert Dennis Ross.

The increasing resort to violence signals the likely fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and could trigger shifts in the regional balance of power away from Iran, says former senior U.S. Mideast adviser …

Anthony H. Cordesman, a leading expert on Iraq and Afghanistan security issues, found  the situation in Afghanistan discouraging during a recent visit, but notes military gains in Iraq.

Anthony H. Cordesman, an expert on Middle East strategic issues, says Hamas’ seizure of Gaza raises broader Middle East questions about al-Qaeda and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Anthony H. Cordesman, an expert on military affairs, says that "substantial progress" has been achieved in Iraq but that political questions leave the future open to question.