Ideas
A US Ambassador Ends His Service on the Front Lines in Syria
Reflections on U.S. foreign policy in a wartorn state.
Ideas
America Needs to Take Charge of the ISIS Aftermath
Two years after the fall of the caliphate, the world should not leave this to the SDF.
Threats
In Syria, US Commanders Hold the Line — and Wait for Biden
Troops maintain the status quo amid a counterterrorism success-turned-frozen war.
Exclusive
Policy
Coalition Plans To Expand Giant ISIS Prison In Syria
The UK-funded effort signals no answer in sight to the thousands of foreign and Syrian detainees.
Policy
Exclusive: Longtime US Diplomat Weighs America’s Legacy in Syria
The immediate damage of the Turkish invasion has been repaired, Bill Roebuck says, but warns ISIS could reemerge without more U.S. assistance.
Threats
Outgoing Syria Envoy Admits Hiding US Troop Numbers; Praises Trump’s Mideast Record
‘We were always playing shell games,’ says Amb. Jim Jeffrey, who also gives advice to President-elect Biden.
Policy
Could Trump Assassinate A World Leader and Get Away With it?
Maybe. Scholars explain why the answer is as murky as the law.
Policy
Trump Says He Wanted To Assassinate Syria’s Assad
The revelation further undermines the president’s assertion that he has stood firmly between the Pentagon and war.
Policy
US Announces Troop Cut In Iraq
The announcement makes public plans that have been in the works for months.
Policy
As Russia Provokes, Trump Remains Silent
The president continues a pattern of deference to Moscow amid unsafe air operations, a roadway collision that injured U.S. troops, and the poisoning of a Putin critic.
Policy
Biden: Trump’s ‘Subservience’ to Putin Is ‘Humiliating’ to the US
“Never before has an American president played such a subservient role to a Russian leader,” the Democratic candidate said.
Ideas
US Troops Should Withdraw from Syria, Not Protect Oil Companies
Keeping 500 troops in-country to help Delta Crescent Energy drill only hurts America’s national security.
Policy
To Block Trump’s Troop Withdrawals, Congress Turns An Old Tactic Upside Down
Congress historically has tried to force presidents to bring troops home. But in the last three years, lawmakers have repeatedly tried to make laws to do the opposite.
Ideas
Why Is Russia Undermining International Efforts in Syria?
Western negotiators must give no ground in Moscow’s attempts to evade its responsibilities.
Threats
Top US General in Mideast: ‘I Do Worry About China Quite a Bit’
Beijing is trying “to establish a beachhead,” says U.S. Central Command’s Gen. Kenneth McKenzie. “I think this is a significant factor we need to confront.”
Threats
A ‘Mass Breakout’ of ISIS from Syrian Prisons Remains a Risk, Pentagon Watchdog Says
The coalition has had “little or no direct access” to the facilities since Turkey’s October invasion.
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