Europe’s Failure in Syria

by Eldar Mamedov On October 14, European Union foreign ministers condemned the Turkish incursion into northeastern Syria. The Turks have undertaken this operation ostensibly to clear the border of Syrian Kurdish fighters whom Ankara regards as terrorists, but much of… Continue Reading  

Syrian Withdrawal a Dangerous Regional Gambit

by Emile Nakhleh President Trump’s recent decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the Syrian-Turkish border and the ensuing Turkish offensive against the Kurds have thrown the Levant and the wider region into a deadly spiral of chaos and mayhem. Despite… Continue Reading  

The Shortsighted Debate on Syria

by Paul R. Pillar President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the border region in northeast Syria is exceptionally rare in drawing fire from Republicans at least as much as from Democrats who oppose him on a multitude of… Continue Reading  

If At First You Don’t Succeed

by Derek Davison On December 14, 2018, Donald Trump spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Though U.S.-Turkish relations have been strained in recent years over disagreements around the war in Syria and Turkey’s increasing closeness with Russia,… Continue Reading  

Foreign Correspondent: Turkey Plans Attack on Syrian Kurds

by Reese Erlich ISTANBUL —The Turkish government plans to use Syrian refugees to displace the local Kurdish population in northern Syria. But so far, the scheme isn’t working so well. Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayep Erdogan announced his intention to… Continue Reading