MENASource

As the MENA region continues to be the epicenter of news headlines, the Atlantic Council’s MENASource is a hub for thought-provoking and hard-hitting analyses about the latest trends, ideas, and debates. This online publication provides fast reactions and in-depth commentary on breaking news and key regional topics by a diverse team of experts and contributors.

MENASource brings you up-close to a region at the epicenter of geo-political headlines. It is the Atlantic Council’s hub for in-depth commentary about breaking news, key topics, and trends from our team of experts on the Middle East and North Africa.

The views expressed in MENASource are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

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It’s been twenty years since 9/11. The US Army still hasn’t learned to speak Arabic or Dari.

MENASource Jan 14, 2026

Voices from Iran: As rejection of government reaches all-time high, Iranians also wary of foreign intervention

If Trump is serious about peace, stability, and a lasting legacy, the path forward does not run through air strikes or transactional deals with a failing theocracy.

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It’s been twenty years since 9/11. The US Army still hasn’t learned to speak Arabic or Dari.

MENASource Jan 28, 2026

Trump’s National Security Strategy doesn’t downgrade the Middle East, it redefines it

By Kristian Alexander

Trump’s strategy is a sophisticated refinement of “America First.” For the Gulf, the implications are significant, but manageable.

Middle East National Security
It’s been twenty years since 9/11. The US Army still hasn’t learned to speak Arabic or Dari.

MENASource Jan 13, 2026

Eight questions (and expert answers) on the SDF’s withdrawal from Syria’s Aleppo

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts unpack why violence erupted, what it means for Kurdish safety and integration in Syria, and how Washington is engaging.
Civil Society Conflict

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MENASource

Sep 8, 2021

It’s been twenty years since 9/11. The US Army still hasn’t learned to speak Arabic or Dari.

By Jon Tishman

The August withdrawal ended close to twenty years of combat operations in Afghanistan, while the US aims to end seventeen years of combat mission in Iraq by the end of this year. After such lengthy conflicts, one might expect the US Army to be overrun with soldiers fluent in Arabic and Dari. Despite repeated deployments and enough time to educate current senior leaders in the ranks from grade school skills to bachelor’s degree-level, the overall rate of soldiers conversant in target languages remains abysmally low in combat arms, even among codified linguist positions.

Afghanistan Iraq

MENASource

Sep 3, 2021

Afghanistan demonstrates why it’s time for a clear Syria policy, starting with northeast Syria

By Reem Salahi

If Afghanistan is to teach us anything, the Biden administration should not ignore Syria by having a non-existent policy. The longer the Syrian conflict continues, the more intractable and unmanageable it becomes.

Middle East Syria

MENASource

Sep 2, 2021

To honor two generations of service members, prevent the next GWOT ribbon

By Caroline Donnal

Today, executive and legislative actions signal a shift: America’s military footprint in the Middle East is shrinking and thousands of troops are coming home.

Afghanistan Iraq

MENASource

Sep 1, 2021

On the way out like Afghanistan? The Biden administration’s Syria policy labyrinth

By Abdulrahman al-Masri

The United States’ narrow objectives and continuous wait-and-see approach are not sustainable and the likelihood is that America’s rivals in Syria would work towards a US departure.

Middle East Syria

MENASource

Aug 31, 2021

Biden and Bennett turned the page on US-Israel ties. But not many were paying attention.

By Jonathan H. Ferziger

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s first visit to the White House on August 27 occurred just as President Joe Biden was absorbing the horror of the Kabul airport suicide bombing, lending poignancy to their efforts at resetting relations between the United States and its closest Middle East ally.

Israel Middle East

MENASource

Aug 27, 2021

Saudi Arabia is trying to make America jealous with its budding Russia ties

By Mark N. Katz

Moscow’s ongoing relationship with Tehran—which Russia will not give up for the sake of improved relations with the Kingdom—is likely to induce Riyadh to keep its improving ties with Moscow within bounds.

Europe & Eurasia Middle East

MENASource

Aug 25, 2021

Lebanese politicians look for handouts instead of reforms

By Paul Gadalla

Lebanese politicians are allowing for Lebanon’s collapse while hoping for as much international aid as possible with as little strings attached.

Lebanon Middle East

MENASource

Aug 23, 2021

My family was part of the US evacuation of Kurds in 1996. The US must do the same for Afghans.

By Hezha Barzani

The US has the means and know-how to save Afghan lives with air evacuations as they have done previously through Operation Pacific Haven in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and other campaigns, like Operation New Life in Vietnam during 1975 and Operation Open Arms in Kosovo during 1999.

Afghanistan Iraq

MENASource

Aug 23, 2021

COVID-19 lockdown highlights policies to reduce pollution in Saudi Arabia

By Faisal Algosair and Abdulmohsen Almuhaisen

In March 2020, the Saudi government instituted a national lockdown for three months to prevent the proliferation of the coronavirus. These extraordinary circumstances provide the perfect experiment for policymakers and researchers to investigate whether daily human activities significantly affect pollution levels in an oil-exporting country like Saudi Arabia.

Energy & Environment Middle East

MENASource

Aug 19, 2021

ISIS is defeated. What becomes of the ‘Cubs of the Caliphate’ in Iraq?

By Heba Malik

In the aftermath of sanctions, three wars, and continued violence, Iraq’s infrastructure and established child services networks remain debilitated. The reintegration of child soldiers is an extensive and long-term project that demands more than Iraqi institutions can give.

Iraq Middle East
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