Category: Blogs

The Regime’s Current Strategy to Ending the Revolution

By Ghaith al-Ahmad

The Syrian regime and its allies did not hesitate to use military force to suppress the popular uprising that began in March 2011, nor have they hesitated to obstruct the negotiations taking place in Geneva under the umbrella of the United Nations to reach a political solution that would end the crises affecting the Middle […]

The United States and Iran: Future Tense

Washington’s increased pressure on Tehran and a diplomatic crisis in the Middle East have created an “incredibly unpredictable” political playing field between two longstanding adversaries, according to a regional analyst. “You can posit an array of catastrophic scenarios given the pace and intensity of frictions… between Iran, the United States, and other players,” said Suzanne […]

The Life and Death of a Dedicated Syrian Minesweeper

By Wisam Franjiyeh

Ahmad Muhammad al-Na’sani was haunted by thoughts of his death long before he died. As a volunteer land mine removal expert in Aleppo’s countryside, he felt his life would end every time he discovered an explosive device. After destroying nearly 3,500 explosives, al-Na’sani, known as Abu al-Fadl, was killed on May 8 while taking apart […]

Trump’s Impromptu Commitment to Defend NATO Allies

By Paul Handley, AFP

US President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States remained committed to NATO’s mutual defense pledge, after he failed to endorse it in a speech in Brussels last month.

The Rift with Qatar as Seen in Riyadh

By Mohammed Alyahya

What US security agencies now consider a hack of Qatar’s news agency ostensibly sent the GCC into a diplomatic whirlwind. The fallout was swift, and reconciliation remains elusive. As Kuwait, the UN General Secretary, and others try to mediate between the two sides, it is worth asking what Saudi Arabia, as the central power behind […]

Three Years After Euromaidan, Kyiv Struggles with Vision

By Sergiy Gusovsky

Late May marked three years since Kyiv’s new authorities headed by Mayor Vitali Klitschko assumed responsibility for the capital. I would like to report that people’s expectations have been met and the city has undertaken systemic change. I would like to write that Kyiv is on a path toward sustainable development and serves as an […]

Surging Autocrats, Wavering Democrats

By Arch Puddington

In his brief time in the White House, US President Donald J. Trump has made a point of bestowing praise on the world’s leading autocrats. He repeatedly called Vladimir Putin a “strong leader,” described Xi Jinping as “a very good man,” said Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was doing a “fantastic job,” and lauded Turkey’s Recep […]

How to Putin-Proof Your Elections

By Jakub Janda and Veronika Víchová

Russia has been meddling in Western democracies and their internal affairs since at least 2014, but the issue came to the fore only after the 2016 US presidential election. And the problem may be more acute than previously thought: Russian hackers attacked election systems in thirty-nine of the fifty states. Since then, several countries have […]

The Arab World’s Sorry State

By Nabeel Khoury

The Arab world is in a sorry state. The spat between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Qatar is but the latest symptom of an enduring serious rot in governance and a destructive power struggle in the wake of the Arab Spring. This situation is compounded by a lack of constructive dialogue on addressing the […]

NATO’s Stoltenberg Sees US Commitment to Article 5

By Kelly Russo

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on June 5 affirmed the United States’ commitment to the Alliance’s collective defense provisions, a commitment US President Donald J. Trump publicly and controversially omitted making at a meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels in May. In a Facebook Live interview with Damon Wilson, executive vice president for programs and […]