Middle East

Expert Reactions to President Obama’s Speech on ISIS

President Barack Obama has faced tremendous pressure to respond to the stunning growth of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS, ISIL, or Islamic State). The group’s videos, showing the beheading of two American journalists, brought the conflict to bear directly on the United States in a way that captured domestic attention as never […]

A Real Anti-ISIS Coalition Would Not Be Regional, But Local

By Faysal Itani

The United States government has repeatedly called for a regional coalition to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). In reality, such a coalition would be difficult to assemble and is unlikely to destroy the group. This is especially true in Syria, where ISIS can retreat and regroup at will, and where there […]

Egypt’s Options in Dealing with the Libyan Crisis (Part II)

By Nader Bakkar

As was discussed in the first part of this article, Cairo has several choices to consider when determining how to deal with the Libyan crisis, which continues to deteriorate on Egypt’s western border.  Among the options available to Cairo are: direct military intervention, either unilaterally or jointly with other parties; indirect military intervention, either unilaterally […]

Iran Negotiations Update: Verification vs. Breakout Capacity

By The Atlantic Council

A tradeoff does not exist between Iran’s enrichment capacity and more intense verification measures placed on Iran’s nuclear program. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, and Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, agreed that each are significant to a final agreement independently. Iranians have argued that […]