by Helena Cobban [Ed. note: This story has been updated with additional information below.] Last month, a network of UK-based academics challenged allegations—which the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) officially corroborated on March 1—that the Syrian government… Continue Reading
by Helena Cobban In the northwest Syrian province of Idlib, three million civilians find themselves at the vortex of large-scale battles as the Syrian government and its allies seek to retake the area from the rebel forces that have controlled… Continue Reading
by International Crisis Group A series of escalations in both word and deed have raised fears of U.S.-Iranian military confrontation, either direct or by proxy. It is urgent that cooler heads prevail – in European capitals as in Tehran and… Continue Reading
by Giorgio Cafiero On April 29, the so-called caliph of Islamic State (ISIS or IS), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, appeared in an 18-minute propaganda video published by Al Furqan media network. In his first public appearance since the summer of 2014,… Continue Reading
by Imad K. Harb The thirtieth regular summit of the League of Arab States that is scheduled for March 31 in Tunisia may have dodged a bullet by deciding not to consider Syria’s reinstatement to its seat. Many other issues… Continue Reading