Iraq Elections: With ISIS in Rearview, Iran Lies Ahead
Bottom Line: On paper, Iraq’s democratic electoral system promises rare, fair representation in a region where politics is dominated by monarchies and authoritarian regimes. But […] More
Allies
Will Trump’s Tough Talk on Pakistan Yield Results?
Bottom Line: U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off aid to Pakistan to force Islamabad to take a harder line on terrorism. But […] More
Pakistan’s Military: The Fire Brigade and the Arsonist?
Tensions that mounted during a deadly, Islamist protest in Pakistan last month were resolved not by the country’s civilian government, but by leaders of its […] More
View: Washington Is Outsourcing the Qatar Crisis
The Trump administration is outsourcing the Qatar crisis to Kuwait, banking on the Kuwaiti monarch to bring the months-long crisis to a close. But ahead […] More
Network Take: The UK Meltdown over Trump Tweets
The fallout continued Thursday over President Donald Trump’s retweeting of anti-Islam videos originally posted by a British far-right fringe group. British Prime Minister Theresa May, […] More
Merkel’s Hail Mary Pass to Form a Government
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany succeeded in her reelection bid in September of this year, but her party’s ability to govern at all now stands […] More
U.S.-Philippine Relations Rebound Under Trump
In the Philippines Monday, President Donald Trump will try to maintain momentum as the U.S. rebuilds its relationship with Manila amidst rising Chinese influence. Ties between the two nations […] More
Trump in Japan: Rips Trade but Boosts Security Ties
U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe both used Trump’s visit to Japan to bolster confidence in the U.S.-Japan alliance as the […] More
Catalans Likely to Keep Disobedience Civil
The Cipher Brief asked Marc Gafarot, a public affairs consultant and specialist in secessionist movements who is based in Barcelona, to comment after Spain’s central […] More
President Trump & the Iran Nuclear Deal – A European Perspective
President Donald Trump’s recent decision not to re-certify Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA has stimulated much debate on both sides of the Atlantic. But whilst […] More
The U.S. Must Fulfill Role of Negotiator Between Baghdad, Kurds
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi published an op-ed in the New York Times on Wednesday, denouncing the “illegal” referendum held by the Kurdistan Regional […] More
Turkey and U.S. Enter Most Important Crisis in Recent Memory
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
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
U.S. and Turkey Diplomatic Relations Reach Crisis Point
Relations between Turkey and the United States have hit a new low point with tit-for-tat visa suspensions after the arrest of a U.S. embassy employee. […] More
Tokyo Weighs Risks and Rewards of Atoms for War
Japan has the means, motive, and opportunity to produce nuclear weapons. However, as a matter of long-standing policy, Tokyo has kept its options open, as […] More
Do Japan and South Korea Need Nuclear Weapons?
The North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un conducted its sixth underground nuclear test early this September – which Pyongyang claims as its first test of […] More
Seoul Searches for Options as North Korean Missiles Fly
On October 10, as North Korea celebrates the creation of the ruling Worker’s Party, the United States and regional allies will brace themselves for the […] More
Who Runs the West? Merkel Wins Again but Far Right Surges
Germany’s national elections on Sunday will go down in history as the event that, for the first time since WWII, brought a far-right, anti-immigrant, and, […] More