by Paul R. Pillar The other day we learned that there are four times more U.S. troops in Syria than any earlier official figure had acknowledged. The discrepancy did not get much public attention perhaps because the numbers are small—… Continue Reading
by Alexey Khlebnikov There has been extensive diplomacy across the Middle East in recent months. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Turkey and Iran. Saudi Arabian King Salman made a historic visit to Moscow. Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan visited Russia… Continue Reading
by James M. Dorsey Emboldened by perceived White House support, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears to have stepped up his risky, so far faltering effort to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East. The kingdom, despite Prime Minister Saad… Continue Reading
by Robert E. Hunter About this time 15 years ago, the United States was gearing up for a war against Iraq. Saddam Hussein was purported to have weapons of mass destruction. There was no doubt about his aggressive intentions toward… Continue Reading
by Mark N. Katz Russia and Iran, as is well known, have been cooperating closely in Syria. The combination of ground forces from Iran and its various Shi’a militia allies plus primarily air forces from Russia have succeeded in helping… Continue Reading