An Endless Cycle of Indecisive Wars

by Patrick Cockburn We live in an age of disintegration. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Greater Middle East and Africa. Across the vast swath of territory between Pakistan and Nigeria, there are at least seven ongoing wars… Continue Reading

Islamic State Vulnerable, But US Troops Not the Answer

by Wayne White Regardless of its terrorist spectacles abroad, from Beirut to Paris, the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) continues to lose territory in its Syrian-Iraqi base. Large dollops of US ground forces in roles closer to the fighting are… Continue Reading

The Islamic State is Losing: Now Comes the Hard Part

by Paul R. Pillar A major deficiency in America’s history of involvement with armed conflict overseas has been inattention to whatever would follow defeat of the bête noire of the moment. The outstanding example is, of course, the U.S. invasion… Continue Reading

Iraq’s Artifacts of Exile

by John Feffer In the initial aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, looters swept through the National Museum in Baghdad and carted off 15,000 items of incalculable value. Some of these items were destroyed in the attempt to spirit… Continue Reading

How to Succeed at Failing, Pentagon-Style

by Nick Turse There’s good news coming out of Iraq… again. The efforts of a 65-nation coalition and punishing U.S. airstrikes have helped local ground forces roll back gains by the Islamic State (IS). Government forces and Shiite militias, for… Continue Reading