Trump is Frighteningly Predictable
Nothing defines Trump’s predictability more than his aggressive, Islamophobic, and anti-diplomatic choices for his foreign policy team.
A Losing Strategy to Defeat ISIS
Why the latest increase in military presence by the U.S. in the region is doomed to fail
Should the U.S. Change Its Islamic State Strategy in Syria?
Phyllis Bennis discusses the Obama administration’s strategy to defeat the Islamic State in Syria and the regional challenges it faces on PBS NewsHour.
The Speech on Diplomacy That Obama Should Have Given Last Night
Not taking military action isn’t the same thing as doing nothing.
Trouble on the Other Side of the Euphrates
Iraqi demonstrators are now taking matters into their own hands.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq’s Strategy for 2012
What is the terrorist group trying to accomplish this year, and will the Iraqi government respond effectively?
Iran and Post-Withdrawal Iraq
Iraq knows that Iran — unlike America and other Western forces — is there to stay.
Whining About Winning in Iraq
McCain and Palin shout triumphantly, “We’re winning the war in Iraq.” Such rhetoric collides painfully with reality.
The Surge: Illusion & Reality
Car bombings, sectarian violence and attacks on U.S. troops are down. But does the reduced violence have anything to do with the “surge”?
Misunderstanding Muqtada al-Sadr
Muqtada al-Sadr and his followers are deeply embedded in the political structures of the new Iraqi state, regardless of how Muqtada might currently challenge the legitimacy of that state because of its dependence on U.S. support.
Shiite vs. Sunni?
U.S. policies of divide and rule in the Middle East, explains FPIF columnist Conn Hallinan, are now exploding in our faces.
Iraqis in Despair
While politicians in Washington argue over the future of Iraq, half a world away a bloody battle for the soul of Iraq is being fought by Iraqis who are paying a high price for the U.S. occupation.
Bush’s SOTU: Annotated
President Bush speaks to the nation and FPIF’s Stephen Zunes speaks back to the president.
The Iraqi Civil Conflict: Another Reason for Bringing the Troops Home
Evidence exists that the roots of the Iraqi civil conflict is political rather than sectarian, and that the best solution is finding a way to bring the troops home.