The Islamic State has two advantages over the chaotic violence of Iraq and the murderous Assad regime in Syria: services and justice.
How the Islamic State Makes Terror Palatable to Those It Rules
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Iraq
Will the Nuclear Deal Induce Iran to Help Stop the Islamic State?
Those expecting the Iran nuclear deal to lead to regional security cooperation between the United States and Iran may be disappointed.
Is the ISIS War About Oil After All?
The unfolding intervention against the Islamic State shows that oil doesn’t just guide U.S. foreign policy. It constrains our ways of thinking about it.
Will Use of Surface-to-Air Missiles by Islamic State Lure U.S. Into Wider War?
Shooting down Iraqi Army helicopters could result in a wider war against the Islamic State.
While Saudi Arabia Goes to War Abroad, It’s Simmering at Home
To hear Saudi leaders tell it, the kingdom is under constant threat from Iran. But graver threats of their own making lurk at home.
What Purpose Do the Islamic State’s “Faces of Death” Videos Serve?
In the past, the Islamic State’s uber-violent videos may have been part of a recruiting scheme, but their purpose has become more focused.
Our Refugee World
There are more refugees adrift in the world today than ever before. If they formed a country, it would be the 24th most populous on the planet.
Islamic State Turns Moral Relativity on Its Head Once and for All
Recent research reveals that retribution is a natural consequence of a moral code, but the Islamic State is breaking all the rules.
Stephen Walt’s Call to Adopt a Containment Policy Toward the Islamic State
Don’t be surprised to find the Islamic State in the UN one day.
Obama Does Have a Strategy in Iraq: Escalation
Even as Obama admits there’s no military solution in Iraq, the Pentagon is pouring more U.S. troops and weapons into its floundering war on the Islamic State.