Southern Syria: The Next Arena for Regional and Local Confrontation?

By: Patrick Hoover, Columnist Photo by: Reuters Southwestern Syria may be the next focal point of local and regional tension in the seven-year-running civil war. While other fronts have been more active, regime and rebel forces have remained stalemated in the area for nearly four years. Nevertheless, an anticipated Syrian regime offensive is exerting pressure … Continue reading Southern Syria: The Next Arena for Regional and Local Confrontation?

Evaluating Egypt’s Election: A Farce of Democracy

By: Yasmin Faruki, Columnist Photo by: The Telegraph Last week’s presidential elections in Egypt were a democratic sham. In the two-person contest, incumbent President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, as expected, won an overwhelming victory capturing 92% of the vote cast.[i] He faced only one challenger, Moustapha Moussa, an alleged government supporter who has stated that his … Continue reading Evaluating Egypt’s Election: A Farce of Democracy

Reforming Saudi Arabia: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 Plan

By: Simone Bak, Columnist Photo by: Saudi Vision 2030 Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman (known colloquially as “MBS”) recently made his first trip abroad since he became crowned prince last year, visiting Egypt and the UK. He is currently on a multicity tour of the United States. These trips’ primary purpose is to tout the … Continue reading Reforming Saudi Arabia: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 Plan

Reckoning with Defeat: How to Move Forward in Afghanistan

By: Evan Cooper, Columnist Photo by: Getty Images Defeat is always a possibility in war, but it is not a possibility in the minds of most Americans. Nowhere is this pathology more evident than the war in Afghanistan. The Taliban controls substantial territory and is estimated to threaten 70 percent of Afghanistan.[i] The Afghan government, … Continue reading Reckoning with Defeat: How to Move Forward in Afghanistan

A Long Game in Syria: Turkey Versus Al-Qaeda

By: Patrick Hoover, Columnist Photo by: The Century Foundation The relationship between Turkey and al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS and previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra), is a complex and ambiguous one. Since the Syrian civil war began in 2012, Turkish-HTS dynamics have ebbed and flowed largely according to regional and local conditions. On … Continue reading A Long Game in Syria: Turkey Versus Al-Qaeda

Failing Ghouta’s Civilians: Why the International Community Consistently Avoids Humanitarian Interventions

By: Yasmin Faruki, Columnist Photo by: Reuters The Assad government’s assault on Eastern Ghouta this month has produced some of the deadliest days of the Syrian Civil War since 2013. According to the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights, between February 18 to February 23, a series of regime strikes killed more than 500 civilians, and … Continue reading Failing Ghouta’s Civilians: Why the International Community Consistently Avoids Humanitarian Interventions

A Bridge Too Far?: US Strategy Towards Iran’s “Land Bridge”

By: Kailey Pickitt, Guest Contributor Photo by: Hudson Institute At a Pentagon press conference last month, reporters questioned Defense Secretary Jim Mattis about the status of Iran’s so-called “land bridge.” The bridge, a territorial corridor that connects Iran to Lebanon via Iraq and Syria, is one of Tehran’s more important strategic priorities. “I don't think … Continue reading A Bridge Too Far?: US Strategy Towards Iran’s “Land Bridge”

The New Major Middle East Divide: How Intra-Sunni Power Competition is Reshaping the Region

By: Kevin Truitte, Columnist Photo by: http://www.sharqforum.org Regional competition between Middle East countries in the four decades since the Iranian Revolution centered on the Sunni-Shia divide. Sectarian tensions triggered a number of conflicts, from the Iran-Iraq War to the Saudi Arabia-Iran feud. However, since the start of the Arab Spring in 2011, a new, intra-Sunni … Continue reading The New Major Middle East Divide: How Intra-Sunni Power Competition is Reshaping the Region

Operation Olive Branch: A Misstep in Russia’s Syria Strategy?

By: Katie Earle, Columnist Photo by: thefuldagap.com Despite Russia’s complicated relationship with Turkey and its prior cooperation with US-backed Kurdish forces, known as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), Moscow consented to a major Turkish offensive against the latter. So far, that decision looks to be a misstep for the Kremlin. At the end of … Continue reading Operation Olive Branch: A Misstep in Russia’s Syria Strategy?

Amid Recent Terrorist Attacks, US and NATO-led Efforts In Afghanistan Must Persist

By: Alicia Chavy, Columnist Photo by: http://www.pbs.org With the recent terrorist attacks in Kabul hope for political reconciliation has diminished greatly. The Taliban and the Islamic State’s increasing focus on highly visible targets in densely populated areas signals a change in strategy from rural campaigns to urban ones. This hinders the U.S., NATO, and Afghan … Continue reading Amid Recent Terrorist Attacks, US and NATO-led Efforts In Afghanistan Must Persist