In Iraq, an Opening for the Saudis

Thomas W. Lippman The appointment of Haidar al-Abadi as prime minister of Iraq gives Saudi Arabia an opportunity to end its futile and counterproductive ostracism of its northern neighbor, and the Saudis appear prepared to seize it. Assuming that Abadi… Continue Reading

Framing the Gaza Narrative

by Mitchell Plitnick With US bombs dropping on Iraq once again and Israeli troops having moved out of Gaza, the fighting between Hamas and Israel has faded a bit from the headlines. But the battle to dominate the narrative of the 2014 Gaza… Continue Reading

Messy Realities and the Unhelpful Debate on U.S. Foreign Policy

by Paul Pillar Much current debate in the United States about foreign policy can be boiled down—at the risk of the sort of oversimplification that too often characterizes the debate itself—to the following. On one side are calls for the… Continue Reading

Iraq: Maliki Goes Rogue

by Wayne White Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki resorted to a bare-knuckle power play on Aug. 10 in a frantic attempt to forestall his unfolding political defeat. Leaders recognizing the importance of a fresh new government appeared to overwhelm him.… Continue Reading

Washington’s Sketchy Pro-Israel/Anti-Iran Camp

by Ali Gharib My colleague Eli Clifton has a new piece up at Salon about the pro-sanctions group United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI) and its somewhat murky links to a billionaire precious-metals investor named Thomas Kaplan. I suggest everyone check it… Continue Reading