Threats

Yemen's War Is Nearly Lost in the Din of Surrounding Conflicts

With another ceasefire ended and nearly 3,000 already dead, Yemenis are stuck in a Saudi-Iranian proxy war that has no end in sight.

Threats

To Beat Boko Haram, Nigeria Must Craft a Future for Its Child Soldiers

Boko Haram has anywhere between 7,000 and 10,000 regular fighters, and no military campaign against them can—or should—envisage killing them all.

Ideas

Why the New Arab Military Pact Isn't Worth The Ink It Was Written In

The plan drawn up yesterday by the Arab world’s military chiefs is unlikely to go any farther than the Cairo conference room where it was concocted.

Science & Tech

How the Islamic State Is Disrupting Online Jihad

The Islamic State group’s use of social media for messaging has drawn plenty of attention. But their use of the web to mount terrorist attacks is just as revolutionary.

Threats

These Groups Were Also Celebrating the Iran Deal

Iranian-backed governments and organizations across the Middle East have reason to cheer on the framework agreement.

Policy

The Alternative to an Iran Deal Isn't Inevitable War

Pro-deal advocates are resorting to name calling and hyperboles to make their argument.

Policy

A Nuclear Deal Won't Help Iran's Reformers

Despite what many liberal Iranians think, it could spur the regime to put hardliners in power instead.

Policy

Why the Gulf States Won’t Save Yemen

The Gulf Cooperation Council's joint military force is not built for war, but to protect authoritarian regimes from unarmed civilian uprisings.

Threats

The Tikrit Offensive May in Fact Be Bad News for Iraq's Future

If the Iraqi forces are to defeat ISIS in Tikrit, they need local residents to rise up against the terrorists. But increasing Iranian influence is casting doubt on that outcome.

Threats

Why Arab Ground Troops Won't Defeat ISIS

It is one thing for the Egyptian air force to bomb ISIS from the air. But the ability of Arab militaries to fight an organized, motivated enemy is highly suspect.

Threats

Yemen’s Houthis Are a Reminder of Iran’s Sectarian Agenda

The Houthi insurgents who have run amok in the Yemeni capital have been backed with weapons, money and training by Iran. To what end? By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

ISIS, al-Qaeda and Why It Doesn't Matter to Would-Be Jihadists

Despite divergent personal and political aims, the real differences between al-Qaeda and ISIS are often irrelevant to aspiring jihadis like the Paris attackers. By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

Why Sanctions on Iran Are Not at All Like the Embargo on Cuba

Havana and Tehran are very, very different—and here's why the Obama administration’s approach to U.S. sanctions should be, too. By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

Lebanon Says It Detained a Wife and Child of ISIL’s Leader

Security officials from Lebanon say they apprehended the two at the Lebanese-Syrian border 10 days ago. By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

In the War Against ISIS, Iran Is Not – and Will Not Be – a Friend to the US

In the fight against the Islamic State, your enemy’s enemy is not automatically your friend. By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

Here’s What Arab Militaries Bring to the Fight Against the Islamic State

How useful would Gulf Arab contributions be? In purely military terms, not very. Here’s why. By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

The Islamic State Fight Now Hinges on Arab Leaders

The Islamic State cannot be defeated without the broad support of ordinary citizens of the Middle East. On its face, this shouldn't be difficult. By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

Is Obama's Caution on the Islamic State Paying Off?

From a steep rise in support from the American public to an assertive Arab League and a new Baghdad government, there are some good signs in the fight against the Islamic State. By Bobby Ghosh

Threats

Al-Qaeda Looks to India to Resurrect Its Brand

Ayman al-Zawahiri turns his attention to a region that has rarely featured in his plans or his polemic, although he has lived there for more than two decades. By Bobby Ghosh