Middle East

FSA Dera’a

Report From Dera’a, Cradle of the Syrian Revolution Report From Dera’a, Cradle of the Syrian Revolution

Perhaps because the struggle began here, its spirit has been preserved in its purest form in the south, with a free press and thriving civil society.

Sep 20, 2017 / Khaled al Zubi

US Soldiers in Afghanistan

What the US Military (Still) Doesn’t Understand About Afghanistan What the US Military (Still) Doesn’t Understand About Afghanistan

Sixteen years in, the Pentagon hasn’t learned any lessons.

Sep 20, 2017 / Ann Jones

Rukban Camp_AP

Trapped: The Desperation of Syria’s Displaced Civilians Trapped: The Desperation of Syria’s Displaced Civilians

By sealing their borders, Syria’s neighbors have blocked the escape routes of millions.

Sep 19, 2017 / Bill Frelick

Egypt Sisi protest

The Children of the Arab Spring Are Being Jailed and Tortured The Children of the Arab Spring Are Being Jailed and Tortured

Yassin Mohamed has spent much of the last seven years in prison for the crime of protesting.

Sep 18, 2017 / Scott Long

Sabra Shatila Massacre

The United States Was Responsible for the 1982 Massacre of Palestinians in Beirut The United States Was Responsible for the 1982 Massacre of Palestinians in Beirut

Washington had explicitly guaranteed their safety—and recently declassified documents reveal that US diplomats were told by the Israelis what they and their allies might be up to.

Sep 14, 2017 / Rashid Khalidi

Putin at desk

Will Russia Leave the West? Will Russia Leave the West?

The new Cold War could drive the planet’s largest country, long anchored politically in both geopolitical worlds, eastward to stay.

Sep 13, 2017 / Stephen F. Cohen

Nikki Haley Iran

Trump Is Leading the US Into a War of Choice Against Iran Trump Is Leading the US Into a War of Choice Against Iran

The Trump administration is taking its cue from both Bush administrations by lying its way into a third unnecessary war in the Persian Gulf.

Sep 8, 2017 / James Carden

Soldiers Mourn

What Are American Soldiers Actually Dying For? What Are American Soldiers Actually Dying For?

It’s time to reconsider whether the United States is really a force for good in the Middle East.

Sep 7, 2017 / Danny Sjursen

Putin at desk

Does Putin Really Want to ‘Destabilize the West’? Does Putin Really Want to ‘Destabilize the West’?

Just as there is no forensic evidence of a Kremlin “attack on our democracy” in 2016, there is no political logic for Putin’s alleged motives.

Sep 6, 2017 / Stephen F. Cohen

Gorbachev Reagan Bush

The Lost Alternatives of Mikhail Gorbachev The Lost Alternatives of Mikhail Gorbachev

Thirty years ago, the last Soviet leader gave the world the possibilities of a democratic Russia and (with Ronald Reagan) an end to Cold War and nuclear arms races. Today, it is as...

Aug 24, 2017 / Stephen F. Cohen

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