In The News

The New Yorker: Egypt Is in Trouble and Not Just from ISIS

Robin Wright November 30, 2017
A terrorist attack in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing more than 300 people, suggests that Islamic State fighters are finding new targets after being driven from Syria and Iraq. Egypt has had more than 1,700 terrorist attacks since 2013. “The mosque attack is the latest of many challenges facing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, a former field marshal, as Egypt heads toward elections next year,”...

The New York Times: North Korea Fires a Ballistic Missile

Mark Landler, Choe Sang-Hun and Helene Cooper November 29, 2017
North Korea launched another intercontinental ballistic missile on November 28. Launched at a high trajectory, the missile landed near Japan. At a lower trajectory, the missile could have traveled more than 12,000 kilometers, capable of reaching any city in the world. The United States recently returned the country to a list of state sponsors of terrorism. The missile included advances in height...

Saudi Arabia Shifts Policy From Risk Averse to Downright Dangerous

Bruce Riedel November 28, 2017
Saudi Arabia as absolute monarchy and the United States as democratic republic are polar opposites in terms of political governance and culture. Yet the two nations have had close ties since 1943 when pragmatic leaders focused on shared security concerns. More than seven decades later, the relationship appears strong though less pragmatic. Each country, with internal divisions and long-term...

Project Syndicate: America’s Supply-Side Scam

Stephen S. Roach November 28, 2017
A US tax proposal delivers big tax cuts for the wealthiest citizens. US companies already pay a low effective corporate tax rate. US corporations already rank high in competitiveness. Stephen S. Roach – author, senior lecturer at Yale University and former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia – argues the country cannot afford tax cuts that will expand the country’s large deficit. A low savings rate...

Deutsche Welle: Putin, Erdogan, Rouhani Hold Talks on Syria as Opposition Gathers in Riyadh

November 23, 2017
In advance of UN-backed peace talks for Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi. The group claims the success against the Islamic State and foreign-backed opposition while giving little credit to Kurdish troops backed by the United States. “Turkey has been one of the main backers of the Syrian...

Los Angeles Times: Prime Minister’s Disappearance in Lebanon

Nabih Bulos November 11, 2017
Even the most fragmented, polarized nations tend to unite when external powers interfere in bullying ways. Such is the case of Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Lebanon’s population is 6 million, Saudi Arabia’s is 32 million and the crisis for the smaller country is an extension of the war for regional influence between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Lebanon’s citizens worry about Prime Minister Saad Hariri who...

The Wall Street Journal: Strategy for the Post-ISIS Middle East

Suzanne Maloney and Michael O’Hanlon November 8, 2017
As the war against the Islamic State winds down and territory is regained in Syria and Iraq, regional and international leaders ponder the next steps. Many challenges remain: combatting other extremist groups and pinpointing sources of extremism, securing oil shipments through the Persian Gulf waterways, calming conflict among coalition partners like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and ending divisive...