Middle East

Turkish Leaders Make Bold Statements at NATO Meeting

By Jorge Benitez

NATO foreign ministers concluded their meeting in Antalya, Turkey on May 14. This gathering was the first time since Berlin in 2011 that NATO foreign ministers met in a city other than Brussels.

A New Sinai Battle? Bedouin Tribes and Egypt’s ISIS Affiliate

By Mokhtar Awad and Mostafa Abdou

Recent developments in Sinai have once again raised the specter of a “tribal awakening” to rid the region of jihadists. Talk in recent years of armed tribal action against jihadists is not new and has generally gone nowhere, but a number of dynamics may make this moment different. Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, (ABM), an Islamic State […]

Turkey’s Role in a Shifting Syria

By Aaron Stein

In recent weeks, a Turkish backed umbrella group dubbed Jaysh al-Fateh has taken control of Idlib, prompting speculation that the group’s recent advance could mark a turning point in the war.

Assessing Iran’s Strategy Toward the Arab World

By Richard LeBaron

Richard LeBaron delivered the following remarks at a discussion hosted by the Middle East Institute in Washington DC on March 27, 2015.

A New Saudi Foreign Policy for a New Era

By Bilal Y. Saab

Bilal Y. Saab spoke to a military audience at the National Defense University’s Near East and South Asia Center on May 5, 2015. Please read his remarks below. 

GCC No-Shows ‘Another Unfortunate Milestone’ in US-Gulf Ties

Leaders wanted more than ‘just a statement and more weapons sales’ out of Camp David summit, says Atlantic Council’s Pavel The decision by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and three other Arab leaders to skip a May 14 summit with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders at Camp David reflects deep unhappiness among Washington’s Gulf partners over […]