In The News

Syrian Conflict Promises Toxic Outcome – Part I

Leonard S. Spector June 26, 2012
Stability for Syria – with its deep sectarian divide, authoritarian minority rule by Alawites over Sunnis, and heavy military support from the likes of Iran and Russia – has long been tenuous. As the US assists Saudi Arabia and Qatar in arming Syrian rebels, eruption of war is anticipated within weeks. Stockpiles of chemical weapons, hundreds of tons concentrated in a handful of sites, guarded by...

Oil and Gas in Islam’s Faultline

Jamsheed K. Choksy, Carol E. B. Choksy May 25, 2012
Conflict over oil and gas reserves, sectarian rivalries and foreign involvement interconnect as sources of instability in the Persian Gulf–Arabian Peninsula, argue Iran specialists Jamsheed K. Choksy and Carol E. B. Choksy, both at Indiana University. With Shiites accounting for 15 percent of the world’s Muslims, policymakers often overlook their concentration in the Persian Gulf region. There...

Afghanistan's Post-NATO Future

Harsh V. Pant May 18, 2012
A newly signed strategic partnership agreement between Afghanistan and the United States stipulates that NATO troops will largely withdraw by the end of 2014 with Afghan security forces taking the lead in securing the nation. The US will provide limited training and counterterrorism support for the next decade, but will be leaving a to-do list for major powers in the region, especially rivals...

The US Confronts Pakistan’s Street Power

Dilip Hiro April 27, 2012
Lahore-based Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is founder of Laskar-e-Taiba, LeT, and alleged to be the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Yet he’s also come to epitomize Pakistani street power, taking advantage of widespread seething discontent. Author Dilip Hiro details the history of Pakistan that encourages instability. Large numbers of Pakistanis are alert for any hint of disrespect...

Syrian Massacres: World Has No Appetite for Intervention

Fahad Nazer January 23, 2012
The Arab Spring galvanized Sunni Syrians’ discontent with Alawite dictator Bashar al Assad who has since used tanks and armed gangs in an unrelenting crackdown on protests. After recent suicide blasts, the Syrian government quickly blamed Al Qaeda, although no groups stepped forward to claim credit, while opposition leaders questioned if the government orchestrated the attacks to provide cover...

Conciliatory Tones From Egypt’s Islamist Leaders

Jackson Diehl December 7, 2011
Islamist candidates have surged in Egypt’s elections, but Jackson Diehl of the Washington Post cautions against regarding all Islamists as one and the same. Yes, the Muslim Brotherhood, banned by the Mubarak regime, has a history of violence. Yet many of the Brotherhood’s Islamists have abandoned violence in favor of democratic reforms, argues Jackson Diehl in an opinion essay for the Washington...

Pakistan Seeks Control of Its Afghanistan Endgame

Bruce Riedel September 30, 2011
Encouraging Taliban attacks on NATO, leaders of the Pakistan military and its intelligence service are impatient for the US to abandon the war in Afghanistan. The Pakistani goal is to prevent a pro-India government in Afghanistan and install instead a puppet Islamic regime. In testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, the outgoing chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral...