In a unique and timely new report, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour presents an in-depth political profile of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei based on a careful reading of three decades of his writings and speeches. Sadjadpour argues that "Iran's Islamic government is more powerful than it has been ever been vis-à-vis the United States, Khamenei is more powerful than he's ever been within Iran, and in order to devise a more effective U.S. policy toward Iran a better understanding of Khamenei is essential." Though Khamenei is sometimes dismissed as weak and indecisive, Sadjadpour writes, "his rhetoric depicts a resolute leader with a remarkably consistent and coherent—though highly cynical and conspiratorial—world view."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s ambitious reorganization of the U.S. foreign assistance efforts last year is deeply, perhaps irredeemably flawed, but did produce some positive results, says a new paper from the Carnegie Endowment. Former senior USAID official Gerald Hyman analyzes the objectives, implementation, and impact of the Secretary’s effort to create a cohesive foreign assistance program fully integrated with U.S. national security policy.

The growing influence of Sunni Islamists in Lebanon is fueled by rising anti-American and sectarian sentiments resulting from the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, Lebanon's ongoing political stalemate, the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, and the summer 2006 war in which Israel devastated large parts of Lebanon. In a new paper, the Carnegie Middle East Center's Omayma Abdel-Latif identifies leading traditional Islamist and Salafist movements in Lebanon, key leaders, and their relationships with each other and external actors, including the United States, Hizbollah, Syria, and Iran.

With the close of the Bali summit, a new report by leading climate expert and Carnegie Senior Associate William Chandler and Holly Gwin go beneath China's laudable energy-saving policies and gives a path-breaking, detailed, and on-the-ground description of the obstacles energy-efficiency businesses still face. The paper looks beyond complaints about red tape and illogical taxes, and suggests specific, feasible steps Chinese officials could take to reconcile their good energy intentions with their practices. Chandler and Gwin argue that restrictions on debt financing and foreign equity investment, unfavorable tax policies, and even the UN’s emissions trading system all discourage foreign investment in clean energy in China.

The recent release of a draft political platform by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is a sign that real developments are occurring in Egyptian politics. While the Muslim Brotherhood is prevented by Egypt's government from forming a political party, the release of a platform signaled what sort of party they would found if allowed to do so. In a new Carnegie paper, Senior Associates Nathan Brown and Amr Hamzawy analyze the platform's mixed signals—surprising progressive reforms; regressive, controversial stances; and the chances of achieving a consensus on the anticipated final document.

In a new book, Dmitri Trenin sheds new light on our understanding of contemporary Russia, providing Western audiences with an insider’s explanation of how the country has arrived at its current position and how the United States and Europe can deal with it more productively. Trenin looks beyond Russia’s famous leaders to the economic and cultural spaces outside the Kremlin where promising changes are taking place. Russia is probably not going to join the West, but it is on a path toward becoming Western; capitalist even if not democratic; European in terms of civilization, rather than as part of the EU; and gradually more Western than pro-United States.

Confrontational U.S. policy has tried to create a “New Middle East,” but by ignoring the realities of the region, the United States has exacerbated existing conflicts and created additional problems, argues a new report from the Carnegie Endowment. By focusing on three critical clusters of countries—Iran-Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine-Israel—and on the three most pressing issues—nuclear proliferation, sectarianism, and the challenge of political reform—the authors provide a new direction for U.S. policy that engages all regional actors patiently and consistently on major conflicts to develop compromise solutions.

The Middle East peace process will fail unless Palestinian political institutions are rebuilt, argues a new paper from the Carnegie Endowment. In The Road Out of Gaza, Carnegie’s Nathan J. Brown contends that the international efforts to rebuild Palestine are in reality counterproductive and suggests a long-term international strategy based on restoring Palestinian institutions, encouraging a Fatah–Hamas agreement, and emphasizing regional diplomacy.

A major new report by a team led by the Carnegie Endowment reveals both the promise and perils that increased engagement with the global economy holds for India’s farmers, firms, and workers. Continued trade liberalization – including a multilateral deal in the WTO’s Doha Round and possible bilateral agreements with the EU, U.S., or China – could contribute modestly to India’s growth and development. However, if India binds agricultural tariffs at rates which prevent it from offsetting global price shocks, the country could lose more than it gains if prices of key commodities such as rice and wheat continue to swing sharply in the future as they have in the past.

In a new report, Carnegie’s Ashley J. Tellis points to growing dissatisfaction in the United States about the Musharraf regime's perceived lack of commitment to counterterrorism operations. He argues that the U.S. must shift its counterterrorism policy towards Pakistan away from a reciprocal approach towards one encouraging Pakistan to enact effective counterterrorism policies in order to strengthen institutionalized trust with the U.S. over time.

Lilia Shevtsova examines the histories of the Yeltsin and Putin regimes, exploring within them conventional truths and myths about Russia, paradoxes of Russian political development, and Russia’s role in the world. Russia—Lost in Transition reveals a logic of government in Russia— a political regime and type of capitalism formulated over the course of the Yeltsin and Putin presidencies, that will continue to dominate Russia’s trajectory in the near-term.Looking forward, Shevtsova speculates about the upcoming elections, the self-perpetuating system in place and how it will dictate the immediate political future, and explores several scenarios for Russia’s development over the next decade.

While today’s move by Pervez Musharraf to step down as Pakistan’s army chief may assuage some tensions in the embattled nation, the resurgence of al-Qaeda and the Taliban both in and around Pakistan continues to pose an enormous security threat and reflects the greatest reversal suffered by the U.S. since operations against them began in 2001. Many blame the Musharraf regime for not doing more to combat terrorism, despite receiving significant U.S. aid, but in a new Policy Brief, Senior Associate Ashley J. Tellis contends that if the U.S. wants a stronger Pakistani commitment to the war on terror, it must first recognize that Pakistan’s poor performance cannot be attributed simply to malfeasance by Pakistan’s military elite.