Syria remains a key front in the U.S.-Russia rivalry; preventing its fragmentation is essential to blocking Moscow’s path back to regional influence.
Browsing: Analysis
Israel’s admission of killing 70,000 in Gaza met with global silence, underscoring complicity in obscuring genocide.
Öcalan’s call to disband the PKK offers Turkey a path to end decades of conflict, though implementation remains uncertain and conditional.
A competitor seeks to outperform you; an adversary seeks to destroy you. This is a contest over whether free societies remain free.
Maliki is seen as a weak, Iranian-backed figure whose return would reignite Shiite infighting, Sunni alienation, and Kurdish secessionist tendencies. His premiership would likely lead to renewed violence, international isolation, and a dangerous regression to the pre-ISIS era of state collapse.
The venue change underscores Oman’s unique trust with Tehran. However, its traditional discreet mediation may now be insufficient. Muscat must candidly persuade Iran that interpreting U.S. engagement as weakness is a dangerous illusion, to avert an accidental war.
The UK’s Strategic Defense Review targets a force with 80% unmanned platforms by 2035. While AI programs for targeting and logistics are advanced, progress is hindered by a bureaucratic “Valley of Death” separating innovation from field deployment.
Maliki’s controversial two-term premiership entrenched corruption and sectarianism, leading to ISIS’s rise. While Iran supported his nomination, Trump’ unequivocal opposition forced Iraq’s Shia coalition into a stark choice: withdraw his candidacy or risk major U.S. political and economic consequences.
While the government swiftly condemned major attacks like the Damascus church bombing, many Christians suspect official complicity. Despite enhanced security, a climate of suspicion persists, challenging authorities to build trust and prevent the community’s exodus, as occurred in Iraq.
Resolving the conflict requires the U.S. to first broker consensus between competing Saudi, Emirati, and Egyptian interests. Only then can external support to combatants be cut off and inclusive negotiations among Sudan’s diffuse factions be convened to establish legitimate governance.