Argument
An expert’s point of view on a current event.
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Children play in front of a house destroyed by Cyclone Idai in Beira, Mozambique, on March 27, 2019. Mozambique Is a Failed State. The West Isn’t Helping It.
Donor countries and international organizations are propping up a corrupt government rather than criticizing it—leaving millions of Mozambicans mired in poverty.
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A group of 11 defendants charged with spreading pornography in China in 2005. No Porn for Chinese Stuck Under Virus Lockdown
Internet controls have proved even more restrictive as Chinese life moves online under quarantine.
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A French soldier, part of the international coalition against the Islamic State, stands guard near Al-Qaim in western Iraq on Feb. 9, 2019. Big Ideas for NATO’s New Mission in Iraq
Sharing the burden of keeping down the Islamic State makes sense. But U.S. and NATO leaders should be coldly realistic about what European allies can do—and avoid their mistakes in Afghanistan.
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani greets Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Iran May Be Eyeing the United States’ Soft Underbelly
When Iran takes revenge for the killing of Qassem Suleimani, history suggests it could happen in Latin America.
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Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak (L), and U.S. Defense Secretary (R) Leon Panetta walk to the podium to speak to the media at a joint press conference while they visit the Iron Dome defense system launch site on August 1, 2012 in Ashkelon, Israel. Annexation Would Threaten U.S. Military Support for Israel
Netanyahu's planned land grab in the West Bank will undermine bipartisan support for U.S.-Israel defense ties—endangering the special relationship and Israelis’ security.
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Bats are trapped in nets to be examined for possible viruses in Gabon. The Coronavirus Is Not Mother Nature’s Revenge
Ideas about natural and unnatural behavior causing disaster are simple, easy—and wrong.
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Protesters burn an effigy of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah during a protest demanding his resignation. Modi’s India Is Racing to a Point of No Return
Indian culture may be ancient, but its unity is rare and recent. A growing hostility to Muslims threatens to upend the world’s largest democracy.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu point to a map of the Jordan Valley as he gives a speech in Ramat Gan on Sept. 10, 2019. A Netanyahu Victory Would Be Bad News for Peace and the Rule of Law
If he leads the next government, the prime minister is likely to annex much of the West Bank and deepen attacks on judicial independence.
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Riot police clashes with migrants outside of a refugee camp in Diavata, a west suburb of Thessaloniki on April 4, 2019. Europe’s Morality Is Dying at the Greek Border
The EU refused to prepare for a predictable rekindling of the migration crisis—and is now responding with deadly force.
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Syrians displaced by the war gather in Idlib Turkey Is Forcing the West to Look at Idlib
Ankara’s cynical border move gives the European Union the opportunity to redress its past mistakes in Syria.
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Protective N-95 face masks Coronavirus Fears Are a National Security Crisis
Here’s how to arm yourself for the health catastrophe caused by public anxiety.
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China's state broadcaster CGTN anchor Liu Xin The United States Can’t Win Playing China’s Media Games
Tit-for-tat media expulsions only end up benefiting Beijing.
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Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi wipes the sweat off his face, during a press conference with the Islamic republic's government spokesman Ali Rabiei in Tehran on Feb. 24. He confirmed on Feb. 25 that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, amid a major outbreak in Iran. As Coronavirus Spreads, Iranian Doctors Fear the Worst
Iran’s political and economic isolation hasn’t stopped COVID-19—but sanctions are threatening to turn an outbreak into a catastrophe.
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A U.S. airman directs Iranian soldiers carrying off a pallet containing medical supplies from a U.S. aircraft in Kerman, Iran, two days after a massive earthquake hit the city of Bam, killing 22,000 people. Don’t Count on Disaster Diplomacy as a Path to Peace
Displays of goodwill during public health disasters rarely lead to diplomatic breakthroughs with U.S. adversaries such as Iran and North Korea.
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U.S. President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar meet with pharmaceutical executives to discuss the coronavirus. Beijing Knows Who to Blame for the Virus: America
The outbreak has caused a PR crisis for China.
