There is an ongoing debate in the US administration to determine if Iraq and Syria are indeed heading to total, unavoidable, and possibly permanent, fragmentation. Some officials cling to the prospects of preserving Iraqi unity while they grade the Syrian situation as yet “undecided”. However, realities on the …

It is not clear yet how prudent were the public statements coming from Amman to indicate that Jordan is determined to confront ISIL beyond its borders. King Abdullah pointed to his country’s willingness to support Arab Sunni tribes in east Syria and west Iraq to fight ISIL. “The …

The main problem with a recently published “proposed strategy” for Syria, recommending the establishment of safe zones, is that it seems to give Syrian opposition areas the name of “safe zone” without changing the actual status quo. The proposed strategy circles back to the same questions of sending …

Whatever it is, the show is on, and we have still some time before we hear “That is all, folks”. According to eyewitnesses in Gaziantep, the small but key town on Turkish-Syria borders, Erdogan already sent 35 tanks to the border region. What is discussed in Ankara is …

Events on the ground in Iraq, Syria and Yemen are gradually pushing Saudi-Iranian relations towards further escalation. Iran’s Brigadier General Qolamreza Jalali, Commander of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization (one of the domestic security agencies) said June 27 that Saudi threats to the Islamic Republic are increasing and finding …

The voice of the Emir of Kuwait in his comments after bombing a Shia mosque June 26 should echo all over the Middle East. “We do not have Sunnis and Shias. We have only Kuwaitis”, the Emir said in a warning to all who incite religious hatred in …

German foreign policy is guided by an outdated philosophy of taking the lead from the United States, when it needs to be articulated by new leaders who stand against NATO muscle flexing and opt for improving relations with Russia, left-leaning website Scharf Links reported.  The media outlet claims …

Is the American century over? Despite a growing economy, world-class university system, innovative society, and the best military in the world it seems the US may lose its global leadership. Air Force Col. Robert S. Spalding and his co-author Dr. Adam B. Lowther, a Research Professor at the Air …

The new US-Russian Cold War could be far more dangerous than the preceding 40-year conflict, Stephen F. Cohen stresses, noting that Obama’s policy of isolating Russia has facilitated the development of a multi-polar world order.  While the Minsk II agreement is falling apart at the seams, neglected by both the …