Center for Middle East Policy

On September 16-18, 2017, the Brookings Institution, in conjunction with the State of Qatar, will convene the 13th annual U.S.-Islamic World Forum in New York, NY. The theme of this years Forum is Crisis and Cooperation.

Experts debate the intersections of Islam, democracy, pluralism, and citizenship in the Middle East

William McCants and Rashid Dar

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Photo of the first plenary panel at the 2017 US-Islamic World Forum.

Experts discuss a vision for a more stable Middle East

William McCants

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

A Nusra Front fighter carries a shell near a Nusra Front flag on his weapon in Jisr al-Shughour town, after rebels took control of the area April 25, 2015. Islamist insurgents including al-Qaeda's wing in Syria Nusra Front seized the strategic northwestern Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour on Saturday, for the first time in the four year conflict. Syrian state media said the army had redeployed to the town's surroundings "to avoid civilian casualties". Opposition fighters and the Syrian Observatory for Human rights said that the town was now totally controlled by the insurgents. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah - GF10000072359

Divisions within the global jihad: A primer

Daniel L. Byman

Monday, October 2, 2017

A Kurdish man rides a horse during a march supporting the coming referendum in Erbil, Iraq September 21, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani - RC1BBF7ECAB0

Don’t underestimate Kurdistan’s resilience

Friday, September 22, 2017

Iraqi Kurdish President Masoud Barzani attends a rally to show their support for the upcoming September 25th independence referendum in Duhuk, Iraq September 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ari Jalal - RC1557987530

Mosul eyes Kurdish referendum

Beverley Milton-Edwards and Alexander Brammer

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Kurdish people attend a rally to show their support for the upcoming September 25th independence referendum in Duhuk, Iraq September 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ari Jalal - RC1F066AECF0

The Kurdish referendum won’t deliver independence—here’s why it matters anyway

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

A visitor walks by snow covered Korean War Veterans Memorial sculptures

Catastrophe on the Yalu: America’s intelligence failure in Korea

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Kurdish people celebrate to show their support for the upcoming September 25th independence referendum in Erbil, Iraq September 8, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RC1655D8A340

As independence vote nears, Iraqi Kurds play a risky game of chicken

Jon Alterman and Mara Karlin

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

A woman walks past damaged buildings in the rebel-held city of Inkhil, west of Deraa, Syria, September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir - RC13F5560C30

The Syrian crisis: A reckoning and a road map

Itamar Rabinovich

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

3D plastic representations of the Twitter, Facebook and Youtube logos are seen in front of a displayed ISIS flag in this photo illustration shot February 3, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo - D1BETXLAOLAA

Terrorism in the smartphone era, 16 years after 9/11

Monday, September 11, 2017