Author Archive
Threats
The Many Ways Iran Could Target the United States
The White House is citing unspecified threats from Iran. The specifics are murky, but the potential for escalation is real.
Threats
No One Wants to Help Bashar al-Assad Rebuild Syria
The Syrian president appears comfortably in power, but his supporters in Moscow can’t afford to pay for reconstruction; his adversaries in the West can, but won’t.
Threats
This ISIS Citizenship Case Could Set a Terrifying Precedent
An Alabama college student who joined ISIS in Syria wants to come home and take responsibility for her actions. The U.S. government says she was never a citizen—and can’t enter the country.
Policy
The Afghan Government Is Missing From Afghanistan's Peace Process
Two sets of negotiations with the Taliban are under way in Afghanistan. Neither includes the country’s democratically elected, internationally recognized administration.
Policy
Decoding the Dance of Power: How Leaders Met MBS at the G20
With the killing of Jamal Khashoggi hanging over the Argentina summit, how leaders interacted with the Saudi crown prince revealed their relative positions of power.
Policy
Will Nikki Haley Be The Last Trump Official Who Stands Up to Russia?
The American ambassador to the UN, who is stepping down this year, is perhaps the Trump administration’s most forceful, but often solitary, critic of Moscow.
Policy
Here’s How Iran Will Try to Evade US Sanctions
U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic’s oil industry have gone into effect. Tehran is already turning to some old tricks.
Policy
The US Just Tore Up a Six-Decade-Old Treaty With Iran
Iran used the 1955 Treaty of Amity to take the U.S. to the International Court of Justice over its decision to leave the nuclear deal.
Threats
Trump’s Latest Warning to Iran Didn’t Come out of Nowhere
The White House condemned the Islamic Republic for rocket attacks on U.S. facilities in Baghdad and Basra. Such attacks have been common—but it’s not always clear who exactly is driving them.
Threats
The Worst May Be Yet to Come in Syria
As Bashar al-Assad and Russia prepare to assault Idlib, there are up to 3 million people with nowhere to go.
Threats
How Jalaluddin Haqqani Went From US Ally to Foe
Influential for decades, the Haqqani network has lately been melding with the Taliban.
Featured eBooks
Threats
ISIS Never Went Away in Iraq
“You can say that almost all of Iraq has been liberated from ISIS during the day, but you can’t say that at night.”
Threats
Putin Makes a Move for Peace Through Force
Russia is involved in many of the world’s greatest crises—but there are signs public support for overseas ventures is waning.
Policy
The US Will Spend Billions in Syria—Just Not on Rebuilding It
The Trump administration has ended a civilian aid program in the country, but the cost of the counter-ISIS fight far outweighs those savings.
Policy
US Enters Its Next Phase in Its Strategy to Pressure Iran
The State Department’s Iran Action Group will mostly focus on “nukes, terrorism, and the detention of American citizens.”
Threats
Talking to the Taliban While Still Fighting the Taliban
Nearly a year since the Trump administration rolled out its South Asia strategy, carnage in Afghanistan continues even as negotiations for peace inch ahead.
Ideas
'A Sudden Burst of Movement’ on the Afghan Peace Process
The reported U.S. offer of direct talks with the Taliban is adding to rare optimism in Afghanistan.
Ideas
Russia Can’t Control What Happens in Syria
As the civil war morphs, Putin is trying to position himself as the indispensable power. But a dangerous confrontation between Israel and Iran is escalating.
Threats
How Does Anyone Know If Kim Violated His Trump Handshake Deal?
North Korea is reportedly continuing nuclear work. But it’s not clear that’s a violation of what it agreed to in Singapore.
