Category: Blogs

Six Years of War: Is Assad Still Relevant?

By Frederic C. Hof

Six years ago, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad betrayed his country by authorizing lethal fire on peaceful protesters. As war in Syria enters its seventh year, the price for the political preservation of one man, one family, and one entourage has been staggering, in Syria and far beyond. Observers numbed by the enormity of a humanitarian […]

‘Mexico Has Options’

Energy sector reform will continue with or without the United States, said former Mexican official Though recent political tensions threaten the stability of US-Mexico relations, Mexico’s ongoing energy sector reform will continue without US partnership, if necessary, according to Mexico’s former deputy secretary of energy. “Mexico’s energy reform does not depend on the United States,” […]

Trump to Merkel: Our NATO Allies Need ‘to Pay’

By Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, and Reuters

Donald Trump: I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO, as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defense.

The Side Conflict to the Liberation of Raqqa

By Feras Hanoush

Statements from American officials about the possibility of an increase in US military presence in Syria escalated with talks of increasing special operations forces, fighter jets, and supplies for local combat forces. This comes as battles surrounding the city of Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh), draw closer. Reports indicate […]

A Saudi Royal Visits Trump

By Shehab al-Makahleh

While Saudi Arabia’s King Salman was on the fourth leg of his three-week Asia tour, his son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), became the first Saudi royal to visit the White House during the administration of US President Donald J. Trump. With the king wrapping up his state visit in Japan before going […]

Relations with Russia: A Strategy of ‘Constrainment’

By Alexander Vershbow

Three years ago this month, Russia illegally annexed Crimea and laid the groundwork for its ongoing campaign to destabilize Ukraine.  That moment marked the end of a period of more than twenty years when the countries of the West looked to Russia as a partner. Of course, even before 2014, Russia had demonstrated a pattern […]

Six Years

By Frederic C. Hof

Six years ago, I was in the US State Department, serving as a deputy to Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell. Having met in late February and early March 2011 with President Bashar al-Assad and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu respectively, I was advancing a Syrian-Israeli peace mediation that was gaining momentum and showing […]

TRADE in ACTION – March 17, 2017

By Global Business & Economics Program

While President Trump hosts Chancellor Merkel at the White House today, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin talked trade and economy with his German and British counterparts, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond earlier this week. While President Trump released his first budget proposal this week, the European Union focused on the Dutch elections.  […]