Category: Blogs

Hezbollah’s Strategy: Capture, Consolidate, and Combat Preparation

By Mona Alami

In the past four years, Hezbollah’s has played  a primary role in Syria alongside forces loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to gain back control of over 60 percent of Syrian territory and over two thirds of its population. The organization’s success can be attributed to its strategy in the Lebanese and […]

Here’s Why US Commitment to the Western Balkans Matters

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The United States and the European Union (EU) must deepen their engagement with the Western Balkans, a region where Russia, Turkey, and wealthy Arab Gulf states have extended their influence and that is considered integral to realizing the idea of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace, speakers and panelists said at the […]

Yemen: National reconciliation without foreign intervention

By Nabeel Khoury

It has become blatantly obvious that the Yemen tragedy will not end unless Riyadh decides to unilaterally cease fire and call for a peace roundtable, preferably in a neutral location such as Muscat or even Geneva. Washington could be a catalyst by prodding Saudi Arabia to put diplomacy first and becoming fully engaged in the […]

Secretary of State Tillerson on Strengthening Western Alliances

By Rex Tillerson, Department of State

Under President Trump, the United States remains committed to our enduring relationship with Europe. Our security commitments to European allies are ironclad.

The precarious Kurdish-Israeli relationship, post-Kirkuk

By Caroline Rose

With the Iraqi flag now flying above Kirkurk’s oil fields, a major pivot in the Kurdish-Israeli relationship threatens to isolate the KRG from its limited alliance system. In just four days, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) lost nearly all territory gained by Kurdish Peshmerga 2014 forces against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) […]

Could North Korea Hit the United States with a Missile? Perhaps. Or, Maybe Not?

While it does not confirm any specifics regarding Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities, North Korea’s latest test of an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) indicates it may be able to strike the continental United States. According to the Pentagon’s initial assessment, the missile travelled approximately 1,000 kilometers before landing in the Sea of Japan. It flew higher and […]

The Re-emergence of Jund al-Islam: A new chapter in the conflict between al-Qaeda and ISIS

By Ahmed Salem

After a more than four-year absence, Jund al-Islam (JAI) has returned to the forefront in Sinai, marking a new chapter in the fierce conflict between al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (Daesh, ISIL, ISIS). The group published an audio recording in which it took credit for an attack targeting ISIS affiliates in Sinai known as Wilayat […]

Protecting civilians: A humanitarian responsibility and necessity for ending Yemen’s war

By Jillian Schwedler

To say that Yemen is facing a humanitarian crisis is an understatement. Numerous agencies are struggling to provide aid to a population in desperate need, but aid can only be as effective as the willingness to protect Yemen’s civilian population. That willingness has been lacking on all sides of this multi-sided war. Without civilian protection, […]

Giving Tuesday: Your Investment in Securing the Global Future

By Carrie Kolasky

Today is Giving Tuesday, the day when, after the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we are supposed to turn our attention to others and give back to our communities and our world.  It is easy to be cynical about Giving Tuesday, to be sure. Every day can be a day for giving. However, […]

Factbox: The Western Sahara and its path towards a referendum

By Mariam Elatouabi

What is the history of the Western Sahara and what is its relationship with Morocco? How close is it really to a referendum?