Argument
An expert’s point of view on a current event.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Chinese President Xi Jinping review troops during a welcoming ceremony. Trump Has Pushed Iran Into China’s Arms
Hard-liners in Tehran have called for closer ties to China for years. The U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement gave them what they wanted.
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Brent Scowcroft testifies during a hearing before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on Feb. 8, 2012. Scowcroft Trusted America
Washington’s honest broker built a National Security Council that placed a lot of power in the hands of a trusted few—despite the chance that those hands might belong to someone like Trump.
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Saudi-led coalition soldiers deploy to the outskirts of Aden, Yemen, on Aug. 3, 2015, during a military operation against Houthi rebels and their allies. Give Up on Proxy Wars in the Middle East
The United States has the opportunity to reshape its alliances and bolster lasting stability in the region—but only by ending a failed approach.
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Crowds gather for an opposition rally in Minsk, Belarus, on Aug. 6. Europe Must Stand Up for Belarus
The crisis has come at the worst possible time, but red lines must be set.
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An undated photo taken in April 2018 shows J15 fighter jets on China’s sole operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, during a drill at sea. Slaughter in the East China Sea
What happens if China fights the United States and Japan? A mutual disaster, wargame predicts.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit on September 4th, 2016, in Hangzhou, China. India Doesn’t Want to Be a Pawn in a U.S.-China Great Game
Beijing’s belligerence is driving New Delhi closer toward Washington—but with strings attached.
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A boy herds sheep in the Nineveh Plains of northern Iraq on Nov. 11, 2016. Iraq’s Indigenous Peoples Can’t Face Another Conflict
Despite the Islamic State’s retreat, Assyrians fear for their security in the Nineveh Plains. They need stronger support from Washington and Baghdad.
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Hassan Ayad sticks his hand through concrete blocks as he is congratulated by a friend on his recent engagement while the two Palestinian men stand on opposite sides of Israel's security wall in East Jerusalem on September 23, 2003. Oslo Is Dead, the Two-State Solution Isn’t
A two-state solution remains the only politically viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—and, with the right Israeli and U.S. leaders, it can be achieved outside the Oslo framework.
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U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping Washington Needs a Better Plan for Competing With China
U.S. China policy is heavy on rhetoric and light on goals. Articulating a clear set of objectives—from trade to defense—will help policymakers focus their efforts.
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A woman carries a small Russian flag with the lettering reading "Freedom for Sergei Furgal", during an unauthorised rally in support of Sergei Furgal in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk on Aug. 1. Normal Is Over for Russia’s Hinterland
The ongoing protests in Russia’s far east aren’t a one-off—they’re a preview of the future of the country’s periphery.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visits Kirkuk to follow operations against the Islamic State on June 2. Iraq’s New Prime Minister Wants to Control the Iran-Backed Militias. It Won’t Be Easy.
Mustafa al-Kadhimi is better placed than many of his predecessors to cement the Iraqi state’s authority, but independent armed groups are pushing back.
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A man wearing a face mask walks along a street of Havana on July 29. Coronavirus Victories May Not Be Enough for Cuba
Health care success could inspire economic change, but the future still looks bleak.
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The Qatar flag seen at the Opening Ceremony of the 15th Asian Games at the Khalifa stadium in Doha on Dec. 1, 2006. How Israel Emerged as an Unlikely Peacemaker in the Middle East
By playing a productive role mediating between Qatar and its foes, the country has carved out a position as the one actor that could ease regional tensions.
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Indian schoolchildren prepare for their Central Board of Secondary Education senior school certificate examinations in New Delhi on March 1, 2012. Modi’s Textbook Manipulations
Under cover of the pandemic, the administration has removed chapters on democracy, secularism, and citizenship from schoolbooks.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin talks to his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in Baku, Azerbaijan in December 2003. Putin Is Ruling Russia Like a Central Asian Dictator
The Kremlin didn’t invent term limit resets and constitutional referendums. The autocratic leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan blazed the trail.
