Syria

Syria’s counterterrorism dilemma: Who can Washington trust?

Syria hosts Iraqi PM for visit amid security challenges in north and south

Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi to Damascus on October 28, marking Zaidi’s first trip to Syria. Sharaa described the meeting as a historic opportunity for...

Jordanian Strikes Lay Bare Security Vacuum in Southern Syria

Jordan’s response to a deadly church attack at home has triggered a new confrontation with neighboring Syria. On October 26, the Jordanian Air Force launched multiple strikes across southern Syria...

The war began in 1979

Tehran’s jihadi threat has only been growing since

Looking Over Benjamin Netanyahu’s Shoulder

A recent book offers a strategic view of the Gaza War for the first time.

Jordanian Air Force strikes Syria in retaliation for deadly church attack

The Royal Jordanian Air Force launched multiple airstrikes on October 26, targeting what it called terrorist organizations in southern Syria that were linked to the perpetrators of Friday’s attack on...

Iraq juggles border security and ties with Iran, Syria, and Jordan

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi traveled to Jordan on October 26 for a series of meetings with Jordanian officials. Among the topics discussed was a desire to “increase cooperation and coordination...

Turkey and Pakistan Loop Qatar and Indonesia Into Burgeoning Defense Axis

The Mecca Pact gained a cousin on Wednesday when two of its signatories — Turkey and Pakistan — announced a new defense agreement with Qatar and Indonesia. The Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),...

Protests break out in Syria against ‘Israeli incursions and attacks’ as tensions rise

Protests took place in Syria on October 23 as Syrians condemned “Israeli incursions and attacks,” according to Syrian state media. The protests came a day after Syrians claimed an unarmed civilian...

Eastern Libya’s Endorsement of Maritime Agreement With Turkey Undermines U.S. Allies in the Mediterranean

At the beginning of this year, the speaker of eastern Libya’s parliament described a proposed maritime border deal with Turkey as “built on illegality.” However, on October 20, the same parliament...

Turkey’s Justification for Military Presence in Syria Doesn’t Hold Up

“We are maintaining our military presence in Iraq and Syria,” Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler declared on October 20. Reprising comments he made in February, when he asserted that Turkey “doesn’t...

Foreign Funding and Influence in America’s K-12 Education System

Washington Reportedly Limits Funding to Key WMD Verification Agencies

Two leading international nonproliferation agencies identified by the State Department as directly advancing “U.S. national security, economic interests, and global stability” are nonetheless facing...

Sending Syrian Soldiers to Yemen Would Be a Mistake

Washington and Riyadh risk sacrificing Syrian stability by pressuring Damascus to join their war.

Lebanon Revokes Bank Saderat’s License, but Hezbollah’s Financial Network Remains

Lebanon has revoked the operating license of Bank Saderat, an Iranian lender implicated in financing Hezbollah. Karim Souaid, the governor of Banque du Liban, Lebanon’s central bank, confirmed the...

Sporadic Weapons Seizures Won’t Stop Hezbollah’s Rearmament

Hezbollah is still smuggling weapons across the Syrian-Lebanese border. On October 12, the Lebanese army seized approximately 200 kilograms of explosives being transported from Syria into Lebanon...

Hezbollah’s “Big Brother” Is Shielding the Group After Nasrallah’s Death

Nabih Berri, the powerful Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, supported Hezbollah through a difficult period following Israel's assassination of its leader more than two years ago – helping it keep its weapons and resist pressure to disarm

Is Russia playing deadly games with the plague? Look to its history.

Excerpt One of the greatest scourges the world has ever known is in recent headlines: the Plague. A technician at Russia’s Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute has died of “pneumonia of unknown...

Iraq After the US Military Withdrawal: Militia Disarmament Will Decide the Outcome

Iraq is at a new crossroads. On October 8 and 12, Iranian drones targeted Kurdish Iranian opposition groups based in northern Iraq. These are just several of more than 1,000 attacks by Iran on Iraq over...

Lebanese security forces seize explosives shipment reportedly bound for Hezbollah in Beirut

Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) intercepted a vehicle carrying nearly 800 kilograms of explosives and related materials on October 5 at the Dahr al Baidar checkpoint on the Bekaa–Beirut highway...