Ideas
At the Oscars: Syrians, White Helmets, and Migrants Lead Picture Nominees
Four films at the Academy Awards might interest you: '4.1 Miles,' 'Watani: My Homeland,' 'The White Helmets,' and 'Fire at Sea.'
Science & Tech
US Air Force to Send F-35 to Fight ISIS … In a Few Years
The plane’s rotation schedule has the JSF making deployments to Europe and the Pacific before heading to the Middle East, a top Air Force general says.
Policy
Trump: I’m Not Being Tough On Russia Because I Want to Make A Deal
The president, who joked about sinking Moscow’s spy ship off the Atlantic coast, didn’t say what kind of deal he wants.
Ideas
Why are US Forces in Yemen at All?
'The truth of the matter is that America is killing people — terrorists and others — because its leaders don’t know what else to do.'
Threats
Don’t Blame Trump for the Yemen Raid’s Outcome
There’s more to the story, from special operators who chafed at Obama administration micromanagement to the unexpected well-prepared enemies who lay in wait.
Ideas
SPECIAL REPORT: The Military Loves the Obama Doctrine. Can It Survive Trump?
Commanders say they’re already fighting ISIS the right way: “by, with, and through” local forces.
Ideas
Still Fighting, US Troops from Syria to Afghanistan Await Trump Orders
Special operators move ahead with plans for the press to Raqqa, but uncertainty clouds US war plans.
Ideas
ISIS Ends Its Separate Peace With Turkey
The politics of the attack and its avowal make the Istanbul massacre much more pivotal than many others.
Threats
Made-in-America Weapons, War Crimes, and the Outcry Over Yemen
As the US limits some arms sales to Saudi Arabia, human rights groups present 'overwhelming evidence' pointing back at Washington.
Ideas
The Unraveling of Turkey: A View from Ankara
The country continues to descend into uncertainty following the assassination of the Russian ambassador.
Ideas
Here's a Better Way to Understand Urban Violence in the Middle East
A new book plumbs the region's history to frame the events of today and tomorrow.
Ideas
What Are Turkey and Russia Doing in Syria?
CFR’s Steven Cook offers context and backstory behind the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara.
Ideas
How Trump Can Heal US-Gulf Rifts
The president-elect has an opportunity, and an obligation, to reengage with Gulf Cooperation Council members.
Ideas
Trump's Big Test in the Middle East
The president-elect will encounter a region convulsed by change.
Threats
America’s War-by-Airstrike in Three Charts
The U.S.-led air war against the Islamic State in Mosul, Raqqa, and the region, visualized.
Policy
Will Trump Keep Obama’s Top Mideast General?
As candidate, he vowed to demand a new anti-ISIS war plan in 30 days. Here’s the top commander who could answer the call—or be fired.
Ideas
Get Ready to Walk Away from Incirlik
As U.S.-Turkey relations cool, retaining access to the air base will require ending our dependence on it.
Business
Pentagon Fronts Bomb Buys For Allies Fighting ISIS
A special budget account is being used to boost weapons production ahead of allies' formal orders.
Policy
The Intelligence Picture Over Iraq and Syria Has Gotten Much Cloudier
The leader of Air Combat Command says new players on the battlefield are complicating the air fight against ISIS.
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