Syrian Government Again Accused of Using Chlorine on Civilians
The Syrian government is suspected of dropping barrel bombs containing chlorine gas on an opposition-held neighborhood in eastern Aleppo. The Syrian Civil Defence, a rescue […] More
Middle East
Obama’s Meeting with Erdogan: “Minor Uptick” in U.S.-Turkey Relations
President Barack Obama and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met this weekend for the first time since the July 15 failed coup attempt. “This […] More
Climate Change Jeopardizes National Security
This July was the hottest month on record, that is, since the late 1800s (when recording keeping began), according to NASA, the National Oceanic and […] More
Record-Breaking Heat
Instability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is at its worst in recent memory. While political volatility has been something of a constant […] More
Vested Interests
Data from NASA shows this July is the hottest on record. Gavin Schmidt – Director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which is responsible […] More
ISIS' Number Two Killed in Air Strike: Will It Weaken the Terrorist Group?
ISIS’ Amaq News Agency reported that Abu Mohammad al-Adnani, one of the group’s most prominent and longest-tenured leaders, was killed in an air strike on […] More
Iran Deploys Long Delayed Russian-Made Defense System Around Nuclear Site
Iran has deployed a Russian-made air defense system around its underground Fordow nuclear facility, state media reported this week. Given the timing of the announcement, […] More
Turkish Moves in Syria Show Policy Shift & Politicking
A fresh wave of Turkish tanks rolled into Syria yesterday, in an effort to both fight the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) […] More
Tunisia: From Revolution to Governance
Today, Tunisia’s Parliament meets to hold a vote of confidence in the new unity government of Prime Minister Youssef Chahed. In a moment that seems […] More
A Long Road Ahead
Five years after the Tunisian Revolution in January 2011, the country has become the only liberal democracy in the Arab World. This successful transition from […] More
The Tumultuous Transition
As Tunisia nears the sixth year of its 2011 popular revolution, the most challenging question is whether these massive protests led to a real change […] More
UN: Assad Used Chemical Weapons in Syria
A United Nations investigation for the first time has laid blame for using chemical weapons on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, according to a new […] More
Biden in Turkey: An Attempt to Mend Fences
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to Turkey on Wednesday marked the first time a senior White House official has called on the country’s president […] More
Russian Use of Iranian Airbase Comes to an Abrupt End
Last week, the world learned of the unprecedented revelation that Russia was using Iran’s Hamadan military base to launch strikes into Syria. This week, that […] More
Trump's Plan to Defeat ISIS: Not Illegitimate, but Unwise
Donald Trump made what was billed as a major speech on his strategy against ISIS earlier this week in Ohio. It was actually an important […] More
Kurdish Gains Spur New Assad Game Plan
The Syrian regime’s bombing of Syrian Kurdish forces in the country’s far northeast is a notable change in strategy, illustrating just how concerned Damascus is […] More
Finding Water in the Desert: Water Security in the Middle East
In 1979, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat said that “the only matter which could take Egypt to war again is water.” That war may not have […] More
A Call for Humanitarian Priorities
From 2007-2010, Syria suffered the worst drought since record-keeping. Amidst corruption and mismanagement, the drought caused crops to fail and over a million farmers abandoned […] More