The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may not be as close to the brink as reported.
The Islamic State’s Strange Co-dependency With Syrian President Assad
read more
Islamic State
Is Al Qaeda Waxing or Waning?
Reading the tea leaves to determine whether Al Qaeda or the Islamic State will lead the Islamist extremist world.
Diplomacy Is the Only Plausible Solution to Syria and Yemen
Unification of the Middle East, though not a caliphate, would be ideal, but unity would be a step in the right direction.
Yemen and the Congress of Reaction
The Saudi-led coalition intervening in Yemen has more in common with 19th-century Europe than the 21st-century Middle East.
The Clash of Civil Persuasions
It is not between fundamentalist Muslims and Western governments.
Four Years After Gaddafi, Libya Is a Failed State
Weapons are pouring out of Africa’s most oil-rich country while extremist fighters tumble in.
How Climate Change and Resource Scarcity Are Upending World Politics
Natural resource scarcity poses a far broader challenge to prosperity and national security than traditional military threats.
Why America Lacks Credibility in the Middle East
The problem isn’t a lack of “resolve.” It’s a lack of good outcomes and basic moral consistency.
U.S. and Iran’s Two-Track War Against the Islamic State
Iran is a silent partner of sorts in the war against the Islamic State.
Why ISIS Exists
In the U.S. war on Iraq, hundreds of thousands died the sort of deaths that, if broadcast in an ISIS video, would have inflamed international opinion.