John Kerry: We Have a Middle East Strategy

by Derek Davison In a speech in Washington on Wednesday to kick off the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s “Arab World Horizons” project, Secretary of State John Kerry articulated and defended the Obama administration’s Middle East strategy. He described the… Continue Reading

Kumbaya (Not)

by John Feffer In his new film Taxi, Iranian director Jafar Panahi is having a conversation with his young niece. They’re sitting in the cab Panahi is driving. The Iranian government has banned the director from making films, so he’s… Continue Reading

Putin Tosses His Russian Monkey Wrench into Syria

by Wayne White Inserting Russian military power directly into the Syrian maelstrom is Vladimir Putin’s bold gambit to prop up sagging Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. The battle against the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) appears to be a marginal consideration—merely… Continue Reading

Is Russia Dictating Next Steps in Syria?

by Derek Davison A series of Russian moves to bolster support for dictator Bashar al-Assad and for a negotiated political settlement to Syria’s four-and-a-half-year civil war may allow for a new, unified focus on combating the Islamic State (ISIS or… Continue Reading

Changing Iran: Q&A with Ervand Abrahamian

by Jasmin Ramsey Republican rejection of the Iranian nuclear deal dominated news headlines long before Congress received the 159-page document. Former presidential candidate John McCain—who derided President Obama’s willingness to engage Iran directly without preconditions during the 2008 election—was among… Continue Reading