Politics

From Rogue to Regular

2019-02-13

What will it take for Washington to accept Iran as a “normal” state

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Iraq’s Prime Minister Faces Old Challenges to Deliver on Reform

2019-02-06

In his first hundred days on the job, Adel Abdul Mahdi has hit entrenched political roadblocks to choosing cabinet ministers and changing a system of political patronage.

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Israel’s Dangerous Dalliance With China

2019-02-04

National security adviser John Bolton traveled to Israel this month to reassure jittery officials in Jerusalem that the Trump administration

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Leaving Syria

2019-01-15

The main argument is that it is a mistake to think that ISIS has been defeated just because the last town that it held has been liberated...

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Why Trump’s Advisors Keep Quashing His Realist Whims

2019-01-15

Over a period of mere days in late December the Trump administration made two troop withdrawal decisions that startled Washington

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The Year of Trump?

2019-01-12

Time magazine did not choose Donald Trump as its Person of the Year in 2018, but it may do so this year

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The U.S. Isn’t Really Leaving Syria and Afghanistan

2019-01-09

Even if American troops come home in a timely fashion, they will likely return before long

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The Changing Face of American Conservatism

2018-12-08

The demise of the Weekly Standard is proof that the once popular neoconservatism of the past few decades has died

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Israel and Russia’s Strange Relationship

2018-10-07

The fact is that Israel and Russia have a relationship that goes back over a century

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Will Russia’s S-300 Missile System Increase Tensions in Syria?

2018-10-01

Russia will transfer two to four S 300 air defense missile systems to Syria within the next two weeks

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Israel’s Secret War Against Iran Is Widening

2018-09-23

Israel has fully joined the battle in Syria—but it’s not clear it can achieve any of its goals there.

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US Heads Towards Mid-Term Elections

2018-09-23

The United States is less than two months away from its mid-term elections and passions are growing more heated

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The Future of Eastern Syria and the Israeli Interest

2018-09-10

The last independent rebel enclaves in parts of Deraa and Quneitra provinces have ceased to be

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Syria, American Policy, and Assassination

2018-09-10

Trump wanted to have the Syrian president assassinated last year but his defense secretary ignored the request

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Trump Pushes to Fire Special Prosecutor

2018-08-29

For those who follow the history of Watergate and the President Nixon resignation 44 years ago

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US Turkish Relations Continue to Sour

2018-08-28

The problem is that there is more than just one issue standing between the two nations

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Trump, Impeachment, and Media Hype

2018-08-27

The chances of Trump being reelected in 2020 are greater than of his being impeached and convicted

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The End of the Iran Deal Spells the End of Iranian Moderates

2018-07-10

The end of the Iran Deal will strengthen the hand of Tehrans hardliners

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Does Muqtada al-Sadr Pose a Threat to Iran’s Influence in Iraq?

2018-06-18

A regular survey of experts on matters relating to Middle Eastern and North African politics and security.

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Whither the Kurds?

2018-06-14

As Kurds contemplate the future, they have the advantage in contrast to the Palestinians, that the transition calls into question the future political structure of Syria and Iraq

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