Washington

February 14, 2025 | Ahmad Sharawi |

Syria’s National Dialogue Committee: A Facade of Inclusivity

Syria’s new president pledged to champion inclusivity, yet he has stacked a key transition committee with like-minded Islamists. The seven-member National Dialogue Committee will organize the National...

February 14, 2025 | Cameron McMillan, Ryan Brobst, Bradley Bowman

‘Stark Strategic Realities’: Hegseth Tells NATO U.S. Must Prioritize Pacific Deterrence

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told European allies Wednesday that the United States could no longer be “primarily focused on the security of Europe” because of threats emanating from the Indo-Pacific....

February 14, 2025 | Saeed Ghasseminejad, Janatan Sayeh

U.S. Should Rescind Sanctions Waiver for Iranian Port at Chabahar

Donald Trump has reignited Washington’s economic war on Tehran, and New Delhi is now caught in the crossfire. India signed a 10-year deal in 2024 to develop and operate the port of Chabahar on Iran’s...

February 14, 2025 | Jonathan Schanzer |

Trump’s Gaza Plan and Its Larger Meaning

It’s the ‘art of the deal’ technique on a global scale

February 14, 2025 | Annie Fixler, Rohannah Shrestha 

Ending the Ransomware Scourge Requires Punishing Its Enablers

Washington and its allies took a bite out of cybercrime on Tuesday in a series of coordinated steps against ransomware actors and their internet infrastructure.

February 14, 2025 | Jack Burnham |

Seeking Leverage, China Reportedly Offers Washington Assistance in Settling the Ukraine War

Despite fueling Moscow’s war machine, China has expressed its interest in playing peacemaker in Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported on February 13 that Chinese authorities had approached the Trump...

February 13, 2025 | Jonathan Schanzer |

The ‘First Amendment’ Dodge at UC Berkeley

The issues on campus and elsewhere extend beyond free-speech protections.

February 13, 2025 | |

Egypt to Propose Alternative Plan for Rebuilding Gaza

Egypt to Present Alternative Plan for Gaza: Egypt will reportedly present a plan later in February to rebuild the Gaza Strip within three to five years without displacing Palestinian...

February 13, 2025 | Bridget Toomey |

Timid UN Response to Death of Aid Worker Held Captive by Houthis

The United Nations pronounced itself “grief-stricken and outraged” about the death on February 10 of a veteran aid worker taken hostage in Yemen, yet its statements barely criticized the Houthi rebels...

February 13, 2025 | Jonathan Schanzer |

Disruptions and Challenges in the Middle East

Significant challenges await the Trump administration’s attention.

February 13, 2025 | Johanna Yang, Maria Riofrio

Cybercriminals Targeting U.S. Food and Agriculture Sector Now More Than Ever

Cybercriminals are tightening their grip on America’s food supply, warns a new report from an industry-led threat monitoring and mitigation group. The annual assessment from the Food and...

February 12, 2025 | Max Meizlish |

5 Reasons Why South Africa Must Remain on FATF’s Financial Crime Watchlist

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed South Africa on its “grey list” in February 2023, identifying critical weaknesses in the country’s ability to combat money laundering and terrorist financing....

February 12, 2025 | |

Israel SitRep: February 12, 2025

Today’s Issue: | Reports: Lebanon and U.S. Administration Will Not Agree to Israel’s Request to Extend Lebanon Withdrawal Deadline | IDF’s Maglan Commando Unit Eliminates Gunman in Nur Shams Refugee...

February 10, 2025 | Sophia Epley, Sinan Ciddi, Andrea Stricker

Nuclear Power Plant Project Highlights Turkish Role in Russia’s Sanctions Evasion

The United States dealt Russian efforts to evade international sanctions a significant blow by ordering the American bank J.P. Morgan to freeze $2 billion of Russian funds destined for Turkey. The move...

February 9, 2025 | Eyal Hulata |

The major opportunity Trump is giving Israel? Not what you think

It is no coincidence that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz clarified that the US does not intend to use military force in Gaza and does not support the forced removal of the Gazan population.

February 7, 2025 | Ahmad Sharawi |

Jordan’s King Abdullah to Meet With Trump as Arab Anxiety Mounts Over Gaza Resettlement Proposal

Following the onslaught in southern Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, Jordan’s King Abdullah II quickly declared that any attempt to resettle Gaza residents in the Hashemite Kingdom would...

February 7, 2025 | Max Lesser, Julien Fagel

AI-Generated Imitation of Elon Musk Pushes China’s Propaganda on YouTube

In late January, FDD identified a YouTube channel, MuskTalk007, filled with AI-generated videos imitating Elon Musk that push pro-China propaganda. Since its creation on December 7, 2024, the channel has amassed almost 2 million views, garnering considerable engagement for videos that denigrate the United States and present China as technologically and economically superior.

February 7, 2025 | Jack Burnham, Kirin Atluru

China Unveils Measured Response to U.S. ‘Fentanyl Tariffs’  

China has launched its first retaliatory measures against the United States following President Trump’s imposition of a universal 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports aimed at curbing Beijing’s role...

February 7, 2025 | Saeed Ghasseminejad, Janatan Sayeh

U.S. Treasury Should Target Iran’s Trading Partners

“Make Iran broke again,” declared Scott Bessent, the incoming Treasury secretary, shortly before his confirmation. That is a realistic goal given Iran’s isolation from the international financial...

February 7, 2025 | Cameron McMillan, Bradley Bowman

‘Keep America Close and Russia at Bay’: Europe Debates Defense Spending

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told Politico on Wednesday that the goal of his country’s increased military spending is to “keep America close and Russia at bay” as Warsaw aims...