Inequality Is Sewn Into the Map of Iraq
This September, voters in the territories controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly to declare independence from the central government […] More
Middle East
Two Rivers, Three Countries? Ethnography and Destiny in Iraq
The surprise advance of Iraqi troops into the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk on Monday raises a spectre that has haunted Iraq since the 2003 U.S. […] More
Staying Together is Hard — But Splitting is Harder
This September, voters in the territories controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly to declare independence from the central government […] More
Clashes Between Kurds and Baghdad Risk New Faultline in Iraq
Iraqi forces seized the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk on Monday, according to Kurdish and Iraqi officials, leaving Washington scrambling to respond to the surprise dawn […] More
On Iran Deal, Trump Distances Himself from Obama
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would not re-certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal signed in 2015, calling it “one of the […] More
Trump Stops Short of Pulling Out of Iran Deal
President Donald Trump on Friday announced he would not certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal and vowed to terminate the agreement if its “many […] More
Decertifying Iran ‘Hands Tool to Iran Hardliners’
President Trump announced on Friday that he will not certify Iran’s compliance to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. “We will not […] More
The Syrian Government ‘Controls Most of the Population’
As the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) squeeze the last remnants of ISIS forces in Raqqa with U.S.-led coalition support, Syrian government and Iran-backed militia forces […] More
‘A Truly Gordian Knot’ Awaits Trump
The end of the Islamic state puts the United States in an uncomfortable geopolitical situation. When it comes, the United States will enter a new […] More
The Gulf Crisis isn’t Beyond Hope — Here’s How Washington Can Help
Five months have passed since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 over allegations […] More
U.S. Faces Decision Point in Race for Syria’s East
Turkey’s announcement of what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called “a serious operation in Idlib” last Saturday has injected uncertainty into the Syrian civil war, […] More
Al Qaeda Spinoffs Rise from Syrian Ashes
One of the most worrisome trend lines in the Syrian civil war has been the accelerated growth of al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham […] More
Tens of Thousands of Syrian Rebels Poised to Regroup
Al Qaeda’s role in the Syrian civil war drastically increased after the al Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) managed to take control of Syria’s northwestern […] More
Will Al-Qaeda Affiliates Turn Their Sights Against the U.S.?
As the U.S. focuses its attention on defeating ISIS in Syria and Iraq, al Qaeda has managed to expand its presence in Syria and now […] More
Tougher Line on Iran Could ‘Fatally Undermine’ Fight Against ISIS
President Donald Trump’s threatened de-certification of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement is sure to damage not just the deal itself, but the ultimate credibility of […] More
Could Trump’s Hardline on Iran Do More Harm than Good?
The White House is expected to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group as part of the White House’s tough new tact on Tehran, according […] More
Hezbollah Calls the Shots in Iran’s Syria Policy
President Donald Trump is reportedly about to extend a terrorism designation to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in its entirety. The IRGC is both […] More
Serious Consequences of Halt in Visas Between Ankara and DC
On Sunday, the U.S. embassy announced the suspension of Turkish visa applications for the U.S., stating that “recent events…have forced the United States government to […] More