by Eric Bordenkircher The U.S. decision on October 13th to withdraw its forces from northeastern Syria is prudent and long overdue. The maintenance of U.S. forces in Syria was becoming increasingly precarious, and America does not need to wake up… Continue Reading
by International Crisis Group What’s new? In Iraq and Syria, ISIS is down but not out. The group remains active but reduced and geographically circumscribed. Keeping it down requires sustained effort. Any of several events – Turkish intervention in north-eastern Syria,… Continue Reading
by Giorgio Cafiero A common view in Washington is that President Donald Trump’s decision to essentially green light Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring against the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria benefits key U.S. adversaries, including the Islamic Republic of… Continue Reading
by Robert Wright This week’s abrupt withdrawal of US troops from a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria inspired a variety of criticisms, as politicians and commentators of all major ideological stripes condemned Trump for ordering it.
by Mark N. Katz It is commonplace to observe that U.S. missteps in the Middle East will end up benefiting Moscow. Often, though, these observations are either mistaken or exaggerated. What is described as a misstep may only be a… Continue Reading