Ideas
Iraq’s Do-Nothing Legacy
The 11th anniversary of the Iraq invasion finds U.S. leaders paralyzed and gun-shy to intervene anywhere in the Mideast. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Threats
Q&A with Dennis Ross: How Ukraine Affects the Middle East
Veteran diplomat Dennis Ross says the U.S. response to Ukraine will have strong reverberations across the Middle East. By Bernard Gwertzman
Science & Tech
Syrian Electronic Army Threatens to Hack CENTCOM
A group of anonymous hackers backing the Syrian government is threatening to take down U.S. Central Command. By Patrick Tucker
Policy
Obama Says the 'Window Is Closing' for a Mideast Peace Deal
In an interview with The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, President Obama discusses Iran, Syria and urgency of a Mideast peace deal. By Matt Ford
Threats
A Question for Obama's Syria Critics: What Are the Alternatives?
The civil war in Syria is horrific, but a strategy superior to President Obama's has yet to emerge. By Steve Clemons
Threats
Al-Qaeda Isn't Dying: It's 'Morphing and Franchising'
DNI James Clapper and DIA Director Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn concede that al-Qaeda is not on the "path to defeat." By Sara Sorcher
Threats
Is Syria Now a Direct Threat to United States?
The militancy nurtured by the civil war appears to be spreading—just as diplomacy falters. By David Rohde
Ideas
Let NATO Keep the Peace in Palestine
Washington should embrace Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ proposal for American-led NATO peacekeepers. By John Deni
Threats
The U.S. Dilemma in Egypt
There's a lot of worry in the United States that Egypt is going down a path of persistent instability. By Bernard Gwertzman
Ideas
Can Another ‘Anbar Awakening’ Save Iraq?
Only disgruntled Sunni tribes can halt Iraq’s descent into another sectarian hell. By James Kitfield
Policy
The Syria Talks Are Doomed Without Iran
Why Washington must make harder choices and include Iran to save Syria. By David Rohde
Policy
As Geneva II Convenes, One Unarmed Syrian Shadow Government Waits
The forgotten Temporary Syrian Parliament, or TSP, has no guns and no outside money. Here's why the United States should promote them in any Syrian opposition coalition. By Will McCants and Jomana Qaddour
Threats
What It's Like on the Ground in Iraq Today
In an interview, veteran journalist Jane Arraf says Syrian fighters are crossing the border at will and Anbar's deep sectarian divisions are growing in Baghdad.
Ideas
The Mideast Is Overshadowing Obama's Pivot to Asia
Four experts from the Council on Foreign Relations offer perspectives on how Asia is reacting to President Obama's renewed focus on the region amid the turmoil in the Mideast. By Beina Xu
Policy
Can Iraq Be Trusted with U.S. Attack Helicopters?
Congressional leaders are uneasy about putting Apache helicopters under the control of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. By Stephanie Gaskell
Business
Gates, Obama and the Use of Military Force in the Middle East
Bob Gates’ new memoir illuminates a fundamental, post-Iraq and Afghanistan change in how Americans view the use of military force. By David Rohde
Policy
The Egyptian Revolution Has Failed
Recent press crackdowns by the government mirror the tactics used by Mubarak’s authoritarian regime. By Shaheen Pasha
Threats
Why Al-Qaeda in Iraq Is Maliki’s Problem, Not America’s
Arming Iraq’s civil war will do little to solve Iraq’s political dysfunction. Unless Maliki agrees to power sharing in his own country, Maliki is on his own. By Peter Mansoor
Threats
Forget the Nuclear Details and End This Cold War With Iran
What matters isn't the percentage of Iran's uranium enrichment or number of centrifuges. What matters is ending the Cold War. By Peter Beinart
Threats