In The News

Syrian Conflict Promises Toxic Outcome – Part II

Dilip Hiro June 28, 2012
Underlying unrest and conflict in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East is sectarian divide. In Syria, Alawites, a Shia sub-sect, rule over a population that’s 70 percent Sunni. Sunni-run Qatar and Saudi Arabia supply weapons to Syrian rebels, mostly Sunni, even while hoping to keep their own sizable Shia populations at bay. War in Syria poses regional dangers, and in the second article of a two...

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...

The Court Rules in Pakistan

Paula Newberg June 21, 2012
Pakistan has a history of its civilian government being removed from power by the military, and last week the country’s Supreme Court mounted what could be the first judicial coup. As Pakistan faces terrorist challenges, political turmoil and economic crises, the activist Supreme Court has compounded the challenges – ruling that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani’s contempt-of-court conviction...

Illegal Immigrants in Greece

Andreas Ulrich June 5, 2012
Greece is a favorite point of entry for immigrants seeking to begin new lives in Europe. About 100,000 arrive per year from Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Africa – far more than attempt to cross borders in central European states like Germany. The immigrants are unpopular in the troubled economy, and Greece is stepping up security and border patrols. With so many willing to...

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...

Applying the Responsibility to Protect to Syria

Bennett Ramberg March 5, 2012
More than 9000 people have been reported killed in a year of Syrian unrest, after the government used troops and tanks to crack down on determined protesters, and thousands of Syrian refugees try to escape the violence by crossing into Lebanon and Turkey. Human rights advocates had lauded application of the United Nations’ Responsibility to Protect doctrine in Libya to end the violence by Muammar...