The Ethics of Regime Change

by Helena Cobban Two detailed accounts have appeared recently of cloak-and-dagger operations undertaken by Western intelligence agencies to effect the defection of high-level officials of governments targeted for regime change. In his new book, Assad or We Burn the Country:… Continue Reading

Can International Institutions Stop a U.S.-Iran War?

by Parisa Zangeneh The similarities between the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and today’s rhetoric and events triggering Iran-U.S. hostilities are startling. The March 2003 invasion of Iraq, for instance, was premeditated. Preparations for attacking Iraq had been… Continue Reading

UN Report Puts MbS in Corner

by Abdulaziz Kilani The UN’s extrajudicial executions investigator, Agnes Callamard, said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) should be investigated for the October killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. There… Continue Reading

The Not So “Nice” Map of Israel 

by Aaron Southlea On his recent visit to Israel, Jared Kushner presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a State Department map showing the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel. President Donald Trump left a short message on the map,… Continue Reading

Will Yemen’s War Escalate Further?

by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey The Houthi rebels’ attack on Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Abha International Airport, which injured 26 civilians and hospitalized eight, symbolizes heightening tensions in the four-year-long war in Yemen and the failure of the current peace talks. Just days… Continue Reading