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Here in Washington, the "silly season" is well and truly upon us. Observing the frenetic campaign cycle, with its endless media appearances, speeches and jostling for political position, it's easy to understand why conventional wisdom has it that no serious policy gets done in an election year. And yet, foreign policy remains front and center on the national agenda. As of this writing, at least one crisis, the conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia, has broken into the open, while another-that of Iran's nuclear ambitions-waits in the wings.

The next President, regardless of his party affiliation, will need to deal with these and other challenges, and nowhere more so than in that most turbulent of regions: the Middle East. To aid him in these efforts, we've assembled some of today's top experts and practitioners to offer their perspectives on the region.

The Hudson Institute's Zeyno Baran kicks off our coverage with her survey of the growing Islamization of Turkey, and what it could mean for the United States and Europe. David Wurmser, a former Middle East advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney, explains why the latest peace talks between Syria and Israel have little to do with actual reconciliation, and everything to do with domestic politics in Damascus and Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Post's Caroline Glick takes it from there, providing her thoughts on what a new Israeli strategy toward the Palestinians can and should look like. Michael Oren of Jerusalem's Shalem Center, meanwhile, weighs the foreign policy approaches of the two candidates, and their potential impact on Israel. Florida Atlantic University's Robert Rabil follows with a timely and thorough overview of Hezbollah's ascent to power in Lebanon. For his part, Khairi Abaza of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies chronicles the subtle but significant changes now under way in Egypt's political system. Ali Alyami of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia details the social stagnation and moral decay that typifies the House of Saud-a state of affairs that has profound implications for the United States. Lieutenant General William Boykin, a former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, explains how and why al-Qaeda remains relevant despite its recent setbacks in Iraq. Trinity Washington University's Jim Robbins then chronicles the political, economic and security state of play in the place where the War on Terror began: Afghanistan.

We follow with two articles on Iran. The first, by yours truly, examines the logic that should underpin any American approach to Iran's nuclear program. The second, by David Denehy, a former Senior Advisor at the State Department's Bureau of Near East Affairs, highlights why the center of gravity in Iranian politics lies in the regime's relationship with its captive population. From there, former DIA analyst Todd Keister explains how the Bush administration has improperly defined the conflict in Iraq, and the requirements for "victory" in it. We round out our feature with a contribution from Lieutenant Colonel William Wunderle and Major Gabriel Lajeunesse, both Middle East planners on the Pentagon's Joint Staff, who outline the "lessons learned" by the U.S. military from the War on Terror so far-and the next steps in its adaptation to fight a new kind of war.

The second installment of our "Perspective" interview feature boasts an interview with the Honorable Thomas J. Ridge, the first Secretary of Homeland Security, who provides his thoughts on the state of U.S. homeland security, future threats and the menace of nuclear terrorism. Our regular "Dispatch" series, showcasing articles from foreign experts, is on hiatus but will return in our Spring 2009 issue. We round out this edition, as always, with reviews of four important new books: Douglas Feith's War and Decision; Jihad and Jew-Hatred by Matthias Küntzel; Robert Zubrin's Energy Victory; and U.S. Versus Them by J. Peter Scoblic.

The following months will bring momentous shifts in American politics, and in the way the United States relates to the rest of the world. As always, you can count on The Journal to bring you the insights, analysis and information necessary to navigate these changes.

Ilan Berman
Editor