Category: Blogs

Syria: Civilians Pay the Price

By Frederic C. Hof

Washington’s strategy to degrade and destroy the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in Syria entails a significant contribution from Syrian civilians: their lives.

Top News: Anti-Houthi Forces Seize Saudi Border Town

By MENASource

Army forces loyal to Yemen’s exiled president seized a border crossing with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, officials in the area and witnesses said, dealing a rare blow to the country’s dominant Houthi group.

NATO Spending Less on Defense, Despite Russian Threat

By Kedar Pavgi, Defense One

The alliance’s easternmost members are ratcheting up their budgets as Russian threats loom.

Top News: Saudi Cables Suggest Links with Egyptian Media

By EgyptSource

Saudi diplomatic correspondence published by WikiLeaks shows Saudi officials offered or denied free trips to the kingdom to secure allies in the media or to punish those the government deemed critical, among them several Egyptian journalists.

EconSource: Syria Army Reopens Key Oil Supply Route Near Palmyra

By EconSource

The Syrian army has reopened a key oil supply route and secured the perimeter around the Jazal oil field near Palmyra.

Mac Thornberry Warns of Growing Threats in Face of Likely Obama Defense Bill Veto

Mac Thornberry, the new Chairman of the US House Armed Services Committee, accused President Barack Obama on June 23 of “holding hostage” the nation’s security by threatening to veto the annual defense appropriations bill, which passed the Senate on June 18 by seventy-one to twenty-five with “overwhelming bipartisan support.” Thornberry (R-TX), said the $612 billion […]

Here’s How to Crowdsource Ukrainian Language and Culture

By Matthew Kupfer

On a scorching Saturday afternoon in the Pechersk district of Kyiv, a group of five young people take refuge in a cool alcove hidden at the back of the Ivan Honchar Museum for a free Ukrainian class. Together, for ninety minutes, they discuss that week’s subject, studentstvo (“student life”), learning new Ukrainian words to describe […]

Seizing the Opportunity for a Druze Realignment

By Faysal Itani and Abigail Kukura

Recent rebel victories in southern Syria highlight the role of the Druze in the Syrian conflict. As the war’s frontlines shift towards the minority’s core territories, the Druze will come under pressure to redefine their stance toward the rebellion.

Top News: Egyptian Journalist Detained over Charges of ‘Belonging to Illegal Group’

By EgyptSource

A journalist with state-owned newspaper Akhbar al-Youm has been detained at Tora prison over charges of “belonging to an illegal group,” according to the head of Journalists’ Syndicate Yahia al-Qalash.

Secretary of Defense Carter: US and NATO Will Counter Russia’s ‘Efforts to Undermine Strategic Stability’

By Ashton Carter, Department of Defense

At a time when some have suggested our relationship is suffering from a crisis and others have questioned the staying power of our partnership, we know better.