Analysis

An Israeli Air Force F-16I fighter jet was shot down by Syrian air defense, while carrying out an early morning air strikes in the country on Saturday. Israel says the aircraft was carrying out air raids on a Iranian UAV control center in Syria that sent a unmanned …

The Middle East has undergone major vicissitudes following the “Arab Spring” demonstrations. The Mideast is one of the most important regions in the world and the stability of which is mandatory to peace and stability in the world. Since 2011, the Middle East has entered a state of …

Geostrategic Media Center The US-Russian rivalry in Syria has taken several steps since the war began, and it is entering a new phase, characterized by an unambiguous talk about Syria’s oil wealth, as an important card to chart a new political and military map for the country. As …

Paul J. Saunders  Only by clearly and visibly identifying Qatar as a partner and friend can Washington hope eventually to ease the Saudis and others toward some form of reconciliation What do superpowers and teenagers have in common? Speaking as a Washington-based foreign policy analyst, and as a …

Peter Korzun The Afghan province of Badakhshan borders China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It used to be part of an artery between the East and West known as the ancient Silk Road. Today, that road is being revived as an element of China’s “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) initiative, which has …

Andrew Korybko   A superficial reading of “Operation Olive Branch” indicates that it’s a Turkish-Kurdish war, but the details of who’s fighting make it look a lot more like a Daesh civil war in its opening stages, and that’s exactly what both Ankara and the YPG originally intended. …

Tony Cartalucci The Syrian government with support from its Russian, Iranian, and Lebanese allies has embarked on a major military operation to retake parts of Syria’s northern governorate of Idlib. As it does so, the US and its regional allies are rushing to position themselves to ensure the …

Deena Stryker   Who today knows the name of Paul Wolfowitz? He was neither a Congressman, Senator, nor governor, yet until this month, official US ‘defense’ policy has borne his name. A former President of the World Bank and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, following the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the neo-conservative he authored the …