
10 Conflicts to Watch in 2021
The world in 2021 will be haunted by the legacies of 2020: an ongoing pandemic, an economic crisis, Donald Trump’s divisive presidency—and new threats emanating from wars and climate change.

Turkey’s Year of Living Dangerously
Turkey took its expansionist vision to new heights in 2020—but with a battered economy, growing opposition, and now U.S. sanctions, it’s not clear how long that can continue.

Pentagon Says UAE Possibly Funding Russia’s Shadowy Mercenaries in Libya
The Defense Department’s inspector general found that the United Arab Emirates is financing Russian Wagner Group mercenaries—just as Trump aims to sell the UAE billions of dollars worth of arms.

By Ignoring African Leaders, the West Paved the Way for Chaos in Libya
A race-based colonial mindset that views the continent as Europe’s playground and dismisses the concerns of Africans continues to fuel death and destruction.

The Mediterranean Red Prawn War Signals Italy’s Lost Leverage in Libya
Italian fishermen are being kidnapped off the coast of Libya—and Rome is too caught up in EU migration politics to help.

The World Needs a New Refugee Convention
For 30 years, right-wing parties and nativist leaders have whittled away refugees’ rights. In the wake of a global pandemic, seeking asylum will be nearly impossible unless the international community revises and modernizes its approach to people fleeing war.

How Russia Tried to Weaponize Charlie Sheen
What’s behind an odd, international campaign to free a Russian operative from a Libyan jail?

Our Top Weekend Reads
The impact of the Israel-UAE deal on the war in Libya, what we know about Biden’s foreign-policy vision, and the disastrous state of Taiwan’s military.

The Israel-UAE Deal Won’t Bring Peace, but It Will Prolong the War in Libya
The much-touted agreement cements the regional divide between traditionalist monarchies and their rivals, while their respective proxies fight over the spoils from Libya to Yemen.

Could Libya Be Partitioned?
Strongman Khalifa Haftar has lost the initiative, and it looks as if the only option left for his international backers is to divide the country.

How Did the Eastern Mediterranean Become the Eye of a Geopolitical Storm?
The region’s powers and the West are facing off against Turkey—and Turkey is not going down without a fight.

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.

Congress Pushes for Sanctions on Turkey, Russia Over Libyan War
Putin and Erdogan “act when there’s a stick involved,” a House aide said.

All the Dictator’s Sheikhs
How Sisi co-opted Egypt’s religious institutions for political gain.

Erdogan Is Libya’s Man Without a Plan
Turkey is standing in the wreckage of a foreign-policy adventure with no discernible strategy.