Ideas
The End of American Support for Syrian Rebels Was Inevitable
Where the insurgency is concerned, Trump and Obama have plenty in common.
Ideas
Is Russia Really with Assad in Syria?
Moscow appears to be preventing a total Assad victory in a bid to boost its international standing.
Ideas
Trump's Syria Ceasefire Is Doomed
It may bring Russia on board, but it hardly acknowledges Iran's role in the war.
Ideas
The Next Battle: State Department, US Military Divided Over Kurdish Fighters In Syria (And Russia)
Frustrated sources on the ground say the State Department is struggling to get behind the Syrian Kurds and the U.S. military would struggle to proceed without them. As for Russia, well...
Threats
Ceasefire or No, US and Russia Remain ‘A Second or Two Away’ from Accidental War Over Syria
The head of Air Combat Command says one mistake by a pilot in an advanced warplane could mean an unintended escalation in Syria.
Ideas
Calm Your Russia War Drums Over This ‘Deconfliction Line’
Yes, the fight is hotter. But we were told this was coming, US and Russian leaders are deconflicting aplenty, and nobody wants war.
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