Sectarianism in Syria: How Assad Played Us
In an effort to solidify his base of support in the face of the Arab Spring, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad turned to sectarian politics. This policy created a dynamic in which U.S. actions in the region...
View ArticleAssad’s Targeted Killings: Why He Doesn’t Need Chemical Weapons
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal campaign to suppress the Sunni opposition employs a tactic that improves upon his other weapons’ lethality —targeting those who treat the sick and injured....
View ArticleBreaking Babylon: Why ISIS Destroys Antiquities in Iraq
ISIS has embarked on a campaign to destroy Iraqi antiquities. They have looted and bulldozed numerous historical sites including Hatra, Nimrud, Khorsabad, and the Mosul Museum. The motivation for...
View ArticleIsrael and a values-driven President Biden
'Might makes right' won't go over too well with an administration aiming to focus on promoting democracy and human rights
View ArticleClarity in crisis: What Israel now knows
October 7 calls for a reset of ties, whether bilaterally with the US, internally, regionally or between Israel and the diaspora
View ArticleDeterring the Houthis requires more than a textbook response
The Houthis want to be players on the world stage, so threats to their global good name may push them to reduce the threat they've become
View ArticleHouthi Attacks – the Opening Shot for Something Else?
In many ways, the Houthi threat is not unique. The Houthis, or Ansar Allah, are an Arab group of Shiite Muslims who have been trained, armed, and indoctrinated by Iran. Similar groups can be found in...
View ArticleThe Houthis are everybody else’s problem
The anemic international response to the Houthi attacks have taught the Iranian proxy to keep escalating as long as so little harm comes to themselves
View ArticleAfter a year of Houthi attacks, Israel needs an ambitious approach
Deterrence is not enough; Jerusalem must determine the regime’s weak points and exploit them in systematic ways over time to bring it down
View ArticleHow the Houthis turned their weaknesses into strengths
Despite domestic unpopularity, the organization has leveraged Yemen's misery and its strategic location to wield outsized power
View Article