Erdogan in Russia—No Turning Point

by Graham E. Fuller Barely more than a few weeks after the failed coup in Turkey, President Erdogan surprised the world by turning up for a meeting in Saint Petersburg with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Many observers in the West… Continue Reading

Bret Stephens’s Racist “Olfactory Element”

by Eli Clifton Yesterday, Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens attempted to denounce Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby’s refusal to shake hands with an Israeli opponent after losing his judo match at the Rio Olympics. Shehaby’s conduct violated both the… Continue Reading

The Woulda Coulda Shoulda School of Foreign Policy Analysis

by Paul R. Pillar A recurring feature in criticism of President Obama’s foreign policy, particularly in referring to strife-torn Syria and Iraq, is the notion that if only the United States had followed some different course, bad things in such… Continue Reading

Why Victory Over IS Won’t Solve the Real Problem Facing Iraq and Syria

by Derek Davison A recent spate of high-casualty Islamic State-linked attacks in France, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and (arguably) Orlando, Florida, has raised fears about the group’s ability to carry out international terrorist strikes while also obscuring its failures at… Continue Reading

Geopolitics Enters Georgia’s Elections

by Joshua Kucera Geopolitics has taken center stage in Georgia’s election campaign, with one party calling to legalize Russian military bases in the country, another calling for the constitution to enshrine Georgia’s “non-bloc” status, and another calling for the constitution… Continue Reading