Russia’s Repatriation of ISIS Members
On March 25, the Kurdish-led and American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) transferred three Russian orphans, aged five to seven,...
A nation must think before it acts.
Syria
U.S. Strategy in Syria is Dangerously Adrift
After years of aerial bombardment by coalition forces and intense ground battles fought by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the...
Trump and Netanyahu Take the Golan Heights off the Table
The last leg of the Israeli election campaign is unfolding dramatically. The signing by President Donald Trump (25 March)...
How Terrorist Groups Learn: Implications for al-Qaeda
With the Islamic State (IS) losing the last of its territory, the global jihadist movement is now entering a...
Planning for Failure: The U.S. Withdrawal from Syria
Last week, the Wall Street Journal and Reuters reported that the United States military will begin to withdraw troops...
Trump vs. Trotsky: The Many Consequences of a U.S. Withdrawal From Syria
Once again, in 280 characters or less, Donald Trump upended U.S. policy that many thought was settled. Trump’s series...
Leaving Syria
“History is irony in motion,” wrote E.M. Cioran in his 1949 book A History of Decay. So could the...
Russian and Iranian “Victory” in Syria: Does It Matter?
Earlier this week reports began swirling that President Trump has decided to pull all U.S. troops from Syria despite...
The Caliph’s Role in the (un)Surprising Resilience of the Islamic State
Since 2016, the Islamic State has lost its caliphate and 98% of its territory, seen its overall operations decline...
Strategic Implications of the Syrian Offensive in Idlib
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces appear poised to launch an offensive operation to retake all or portions of Syria’s...