Threats
As ISIS Shrinks in Syria, the US and Iran Draw Closer to Conflict
Even if the Pentagon may not want to directly engage Syrian forces or their Russian and Iranian-backed allies, there’s a danger of accidental escalation.
Threats
The United States and Russia Are Increasingly at Odds in Syria
Amid disagreements about what might come after ISIS, Moscow says its missiles will track some US aircraft as targets.
Ideas
After Raqqa, How the US Must Adapt to ISIS
What to do when ISIS goes underground, and other things to worry about after the caliphate falls.
Ideas
Is America Getting Sucked Into More War in Syria?
The Trump administration has quietly escalated against Assad and his allies—and risks sparking regional chaos.
Ideas
The Right Way to Confront Iran in Syria
A careful diplomatic approach to Russia’s safe-zone plan is less risky, and more promising, than direct action
Ideas
Hey, NATO, Let's Move Those 50 US Thermonuclear Weapons Out of Turkey
Why risk it? Even if NATO wants the nukes in Europe, Erdogan’s unstable regime is 68 miles from Syria, the hottest conflict zone on earth.
Ideas
And So It Begins: Trump, Syria, and The Lessons of Iraq
With recent 'warning shot' at Assad, the US is trying to avoid escalation in Syria, not stoke it, sources say.
Threats
New Tactics, Quicker Decisions Are Helping to ‘Annihilate’ ISIS, Pentagon Says
The military’s top leaders credit Trump for delegating authority and directing efforts to surround ISIS fighters.
Ideas
The US Just Bombed Pro-Assad Troops in Syria. What’s Next?
This could be the start of a larger escalation that includes direct military clashes with Iran or Iranian-backed proxies.
Ideas
So Trump Is Arming Kurds...Then What?
Trump’s latest decision orders more US military intervention than Obama wanted. The more Americans and allies fight this war, the more they deserve a plan for the peace.
Ideas
Can Russian Safe Zones Solve Syria?
If a potential negotiated solution to the Syrian conflict exists, something in the spirit of Russia’s plan for decentralization and ceasefires might be it.
Ideas
Normalizing Illegal Action May Be the Only Lasting Effect of Trump’s Syria Strike
A president has broad leeway to send American forces into harm’s way, but Trump has blown past the few constraints that remain.
Policy
With Mattis Visiting, Netanyahu Applauds Trump’s Military Strikes
Israeli security leaders and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis blamed Iran for backing an “axis of evil” from Hezbollah to Pyongyang.
Threats
Syria’s War Has Been a ‘Goldmine’ for North Korea—and Don’t Expect It to Change Anytime Soon
Weapons from North Korea have ended up in Syria, ultimately enriching the Kim regime and prolonging Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power.
Ideas
How Will Trump Get Us From Tomahawks to the Peace Table?
Trump called for an end to Syrian bloodshed. Tillerson was unprepared in Moscow to say how. But all roads still lead through Geneva.
Threats
‘No Doubt’ Syria Behind Chemical Attack, Mattis Says
And Trump’s rush order for a counter-ISIS plan, remains just a “skeleton,” Mattis said. "It's going to take time."
Threats
Rex Tillerson’s Russian Mission Impossible
The secretary of state is expected to use his visit to Moscow this week to demand Russia break with Assad. This is wishful thinking.
Ideas
Trump's Unlawful Attack in Syria
Trump launched an attack on Bashar al-Assad’s government without the legal authority to do so.
Ideas