Ever since Syria won its independence from France in 1946, it has been a crucial player in Middle Eastern politics. Over the years, relations between the United States and Syria have fluctuated as Washington has tried to balance its commitment to Israel's security with its support for Arab regimes in order to protect vital and strategic interests in the Arab world. The Arab-Israeli conflict is, however. no longer the only focal point of the relationship. Now, terrorism has entered the fray. On the State Department's terrorism list since 1979, Syria became even more persona non grata as far...

As the global Jihadist movement grows more complex, the escalating threat to international security demands a clear vision for winning the battle against fundamentalist Islamic violence. Walid Phares's previous books, Future Jihad and The War of Ideas, traced the forces that led to September 11 and the rise of radical Islam and examined the conflicting ideologies that underlie the War on Terror. Now, in The Confrontation, Phares provides global solutions for defeating the forces of jihad and identifies the upcoming battles in the vast world of the Jihadist movement,...

After the 9/11 Commission concluded in 2004 that the U.S. was engaged in a war with terrorists and never realized it, they reasoned that, in effect, Americans were simply unable to fathom that there were people who hated and opposed our democracy with such ferocity. But after billions of dollars and almost a decade fighting a war in the Middle East, will we miss the threat again?

With penetrating insight and candor, Walid Phares, Fox News terrorism and...