Policy

Exclusive: Longtime US Diplomat Weighs America’s Legacy in Syria

The immediate damage of the Turkish invasion has been repaired, Bill Roebuck says, but warns ISIS could reemerge without more U.S. assistance.

Threats

Outgoing Syria Envoy Admits Hiding US Troop Numbers; Praises Trump’s Mideast Record

‘We were always playing shell games,’ says Amb. Jim Jeffrey, who also gives advice to President-elect Biden.

Policy

Trump Says He Wanted To Assassinate Syria’s Assad

The revelation further undermines the president’s assertion that he has stood firmly between the Pentagon and war.

Policy

US Announces Troop Cut In Iraq

The announcement makes public plans that have been in the works for months.

Policy

As Russia Provokes, Trump Remains Silent

The president continues a pattern of deference to Moscow amid unsafe air operations, a roadway collision that injured U.S. troops, and the poisoning of a Putin critic.

Policy

Biden: Trump’s ‘Subservience’ to Putin Is ‘Humiliating’ to the US

“Never before has an American president played such a subservient role to a Russian leader,” the Democratic candidate said.

Ideas

US Troops Should Withdraw from Syria, Not Protect Oil Companies

Keeping 500 troops in-country to help Delta Crescent Energy drill only hurts America’s national security.

Policy

To Block Trump’s Troop Withdrawals, Congress Turns An Old Tactic Upside Down

Congress historically has tried to force presidents to bring troops home. But in the last three years, lawmakers have repeatedly tried to make laws to do the opposite.

Ideas

Why Is Russia Undermining International Efforts in Syria?

Western negotiators must give no ground in Moscow’s attempts to evade its responsibilities.

Threats

Top US General in Mideast: ‘I Do Worry About China Quite a Bit’

Beijing is trying “to establish a beachhead,” says U.S. Central Command’s Gen. Kenneth McKenzie. “I think this is a significant factor we need to confront.”

Threats

A ‘Mass Breakout’ of ISIS from Syrian Prisons Remains a Risk, Pentagon Watchdog Says

The coalition has had “little or no direct access” to the facilities since Turkey’s October invasion.

Policy

2020 Dems Reject Military Use In Idlib

On paper, Democrats have remained open to the use of military force for humanitarian purposes.

Ideas

The US Should Get Ready for Syria’s Return from War

Trump seems determined not to play much of a role in shaping how Syria’s myriad conflicts are resolved. That’s a mistake.

Ideas

The Inconvenient Truth About ISIS

The group is even bigger now, and America’s conflict with Iran is only making the fight against it more complicated.

Threats

The Iraq War Has Cost the US Nearly $2 Trillion

The figure includes $838 billion in “emergency” and “overseas contingency operation” funding and $59 billion spent by the State Department and USAID on Iraq and Syria.

Ideas

ISIS Is No Reason to Stay in Iraq

Don’t take the wrong conclusion from recent news about the group’s “resurgence.”

Ideas

Don’t Let Iran Tensions Stop the Battle Against ISIS

My recent journey through northern Iraq revealed how fragile the region remains, and how extremism could once again take root.

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