In The News

Al-Shabab Seizes African Union Base in Somalia

January 15, 2016
Al-Shabab is reported to have attacked an African Union military Base in a small town west of the capital of Mogadishu: “Kenya contributes more than 4,000 troops to the 22,000-strong AU force that is in Somalia helping the UN-backed government battle al-Shabab, which is part of al-Qaeda,” reports BBC News. The African Union is a continent-wide force supported by 54 nations. Al-Shabab may be...

Al Qaeda Captures 2 Yemen Towns

December 4, 2015
Patterns continue for the Middle East: a failure of power sharing and representation for countries with Shia-Sunni divisions, and religious extremists taking advantage of the instability and power vacuums. Al Qaeda has quickly wrested control of Zinjibar and Jaar in Yemen even as the government battles Houthi rebels. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia supports the government, and Iran supports the...

A War of Priorities in Syria

Chris Miller December 3, 2015
The international coalition targeting the Islamic State’s tenuous hold of communities in Syria and Iraq has divided interests that could prolong the war in Syria. “The war is driven by multiple, interlocking layers of conflict,” explains Chris Miller, associate director of the Grand Strategy Program at Yale and a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The priorities vary and desire to...

ISIS Rampage: A Threat to Cultural Heritage That Belongs to All

James Cuno November 26, 2015
The self-proclaimed Islamic State is ruthless in imposing its version of Islam on others. The rigid beliefs cannot withstand the joys of the modern world or a cultural heritage and ancient history that is a connecting force for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. ISIS contends the world is borderless and belongs to Allah – and claim their leaders alone interpret Allah’s wishes. “This complicates the...

Why Would Turkey Shoot Down a Russian Plane?

Greg Myre November 25, 2015
Turkey warned and then shot down a Russian fighter plane over its territory, and Russia has announced plans to send anti-aircraft missiles to the region. Both nations are intervening in the Syrian civil war, an escalating conflict that has dislocated millions. Russia supports the Assad regime; Turkey, a NATO member, opposes the dictator. The “episode illustrates why it's so hard to get all...

Air War May Be Satisfying, But Won’t Defeat ISIS

Mohammed Ayoob November 19, 2015
Air strikes pounding strips of territory in Iraq and Syria controlled by the Islamic State won’t destroy the ideology and can inflict civilian casualties. Analysts concur that ground troops are needed to deliver precise attacks. Public opinion in the United States and the European Union won’t permit use of their ground troops, and such force would only reinforce extremist claims about the West...

APEC Leaders Silent on South China Sea

Trefor Moss November 19, 2015
The attacks on civilians in Paris by the Islamic State have rallied world leaders to cooperate on combatting terrorism. Such coordination could ease tensions in other areas or distract attention. At the summit for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, held in Manila, 21 leaders urged cooperation on fighting terrorism and improving economic growth. “On the sensitive matter of the South China Sea, the...