Trump’s threats to “destroy and obliterate” the Turkish economy play into Erdogan’s hands, however, because they create the impression of an American assault on Turkish citizens. The White House and Congress should take strong action — but they should be clear that their targets are Erdogan and his clique, whom many Turks resent deeply for religious authoritarianism on the home front. While there is a growing bipartisan majority in Congress that recognizes Erdogan as an ill-advised ally, the effectiveness of American pressure is likely to rest on Trump recognizing the Turkish president for what he really is.
For decades out, it’s hard to see anything better than an unpleasant modus vivendi between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Given that it is the Middle East, however, that isn’t an awful state. Americans always want to believe that honesty is the best policy, that without honesty solutions aren’t possible. We are certainly tardy in applying that principle to the Israeli–Palestinian clash.
While the ISL and AQIM are currently not at the forefront of the fighting in Libya, which remains locked in a civil war since Muammar Gaddafi was killed in 2011, the two terror groups maintain a presence in the country. Both ISL and AQIM are seeking to capitalize on insecurity in Libya and use the lawless borders of Niger and Algeria to sow chaos in the region.
Whomever the buyer, the surest means to disrupt exports to Syria is to prevent Iranian ships from transiting the Suez Canal, an objective that requires Egypt’s cooperation. At present, Cairo does not bar sanctions violators from the Canal. The U.S. should push hard for this to change, while encouraging Egypt to block individual Iranian ships that violate maritime safety protocols.