Arab Spring

A Gameplan for American Economic Security:

Supercharging U.S. Statecraft, from an Economic Pentagon to the Near-Global Economy

Islamist Turkey: A Base for Muslim Brotherhood Jihadism

Blacklisting the Brotherhood

The Trump administration made history on November 24, 2025, when it issued an executive order calling for the U.S. government to designate “certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as Foreign Terrorist...

Beware Turkey’s ambitions in the post-Iran power vacuum

The US military and the Israeli Defense Forces continue unleashing their might on the Iranian regime — and precise intelligence, overwhelming firepower and a bit of good luck could soon usher...

As the noose tightens around Nicolas Maduro, how to ensure a strong — and pro-American — Venezuela follows

With President Donald Trump announcing a “total and complete” oil blockade of Venezuela this week, the noose around dictator Nicolas Maduro’s neck is tightening. A massive US Navy strike...

Patient Extremism: The Many Faces of the Muslim Brotherhood

As Beijing beckons, is Washington sleepwalking on Egypt?

While Chinese fighter jets split Egypt’s skies in May, it was American armor that shook its sands earlier this month. Bright Star 25, one of the world’s largest multinational military...

The United States Should be Prudent Regarding al-Sharaa’s Turn

Al-Sharaa’s turn away from the Nusra Front upon his seizure of power needs to be treated with prudence by the United States.

Turkey’s Push for Regime Change in Syria: The Jihadi Highway

Syria’s civil war broke out in March 2011, in reaction to the brutal crackdown by the regime of Bashar al-Asad of popular protests that were part of the wider Arab Spring. In supporting the Syrian...

Turkey’s Neo-Ottoman Moment

Turkey’s Syria policy didn’t materialize in a vacuum. Rather, it was a reaction to the Arab uprisings that began in January 2011, known as the Arab Spring, which Turkish policymakers interpreted as...

Egypt’s War Against the World’s Oldest Christian Monastery

The state’s suppression of St. Catherine’s is a microcosm of Egypt’s broader campaign against the country’s Christians—including my family.

Erdoğan’s Long Game in Syria

When Bashar al-Asad’s regime abruptly collapsed in December 2024, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saw more than just a regional upheaval. He saw a long-awaited opportunity.  With Iran’s...

Choose the Druze

Syria’s endangered minorities deserve protection

Replacing Iran with Turkey Is a Recipe for Disaster in Syria

The Syrian revolution was not an uprising for liberty, freedom, or democracy. It was a manifestation of Sunni Islamists, backed by Turkey and Qatar, venting their rage against the rule of Assad, supported...

As American Scrutiny of Muslim Brotherhood Increases, Lawmakers Overlook Qatar’s Support of the Extremist Group

The organization is a decentralized, transnational Islamist movement dedicated to the mission of establishing a global caliphate.

Options for Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization

Once again a Trump administration is debating whether or not to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The last time around, during Trump’s first term, the effort petered out amidst...

10 Things to Know About the Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamist movement dedicated to the remaking of society and government according to the dictates of Islamic law, or sharia. Founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna,...

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Last Stand in Jordan

For years, Jordan’s government opted to contain rather than confront the Muslim Brotherhood. That strategy has failed.

Trump’s Syria Opportunity

Syrian president Ahmed al-Shara will need to show commitment to stabilizing the country and integrating its regions, while the United States may find it has more leverage now by embracing Damascus.

President Trump meets with a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, lifts sanctions on Syria

President Donald Trump met with Syrian interim president Ahmad al Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al Jolani, a US and UN-designated terrorist and the former leader of Hayat Tahrir al Sham,...