Areas of focus will likely include a damaged but still dangerous Islamic State, a regrouping al-Qaeda, and the wide network fielded by Iran and its proxy Hezbollah. The U.S. Department of State is expected on July 19 to release its annual counterterrorism report, which will look back at the global terrorist threat and the response… Keep reading →
Various players have been rushing to secure their spot in former Islamic State strongholds that will be strategically important to the next phase of the war. Note: Click on map for high-resolution version. The May 18 U.S. airstrike on pro-regime forces heading for Syria’s southern al-Tanf border crossing marks a turning point in the war.… Keep reading →
To help Washington in the war against the Islamic State, Cairo must first help itself, in part by adopting a modern COIN approach in Sinai and refocusing its military spending toward that end. Seven years have passed since an Egyptian head of state visited the White House, but the April 3 Oval Office meeting between… Keep reading →
At a time when Russia is firmly in the Syrian driver’s seat and Assad shows no sign of going away, brokering a deal to establish a humanitarian buffer area would be one way to address Washington and Amman’s pressing concerns about ongoing refugee flows. In recent weeks, fighting has intensified in southern Syria as Russian… Keep reading →
2016 saw the international community finally reach agreement for collective action on climate change with the rapid ratification and entry into force of the Paris Agreement.
As the Trump administration prepares to revise its controversial entry restrictions, a sampling of quotes from officials around the region indicates that certain provisions will be a hard sell abroad. President Trump’s January 27 executive order on “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” drew much ire at home and around… Keep reading →
Because the proposed Israeli embassy move is a potential headache for the palace, it will no doubt be high on the king’s agenda, but U.S. officials should be prepared to offer assurances on other pressing security and economic concerns as well. On January 30, Jordan’s King Abdullah arrives in Washington for meetings with the new… Keep reading →
The meeting’s main outcomes will probably disappoint ardent supporters and detractors alike, but the parties should not dismiss the potential progress offered by its more modest, concrete recommendations. On January 15, representatives from around seventy countries and international organizations convened in Paris for the second of two international conferences organized under the French “Middle East… Keep reading →
Despite pressure from OPEC to cap its oil production, the Iraqi government can neither afford a production cut nor enforce it upon the Kurdistan Regional Government. Under tremendous fiscal pressure, OPEC members may cut a deal in Vienna this week that would cap oil production in order to raise global prices. The deal is being… Keep reading →
Although security cooperation tends to get the headlines, the two countries have been quietly pursuing other initiatives that could provide a desperately needed boost to Egypt’s trade, tourism, and energy sectors. On October 18, Ynet news reported that Egypt and Israel were planning to pursue joint economic projects after years of cold relations on that… Keep reading →
