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.
Six Steps Short of War to Beat ISIS
Weakening ISIS requires eroding the support it relies on from tribal leaders, military figures, and ordinary Iraqi Sunnis. Here’s how to do it without bombs.
Iran and Post-Withdrawal Iraq
Iraq knows that Iran — unlike America and other Western forces — is there to stay.
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”?
Iraq: The Failures of Democratization
If the United States cared so much about democracy in Iraq, why has it acted more like an occupying force in restricting the self-determination of Iraqi citizens?
Bush’s SOTU: Annotated
President Bush speaks to the nation and FPIF’s Stephen Zunes speaks back to the president.
Bunch of Losers
All sides have claimed victory in the Lebanon conflict. They’re all wrong.
Iraq’s Sectarian Bloodshed "Made in the USA"
Iraqi Shia and Sunnis have lived in harmony for centuries, the U.S. changed that.
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.
Can the Iraqi Insurgency be Neutralized?
Body counts are important to remind us of the sacrifices made so far, but they are not a measure of success.
A Constitution of Trouble
Despite an announced “compromise” both the procedure that produced the Iraqi constitutional draft that will be voted on October 15, and its constitutional substance were and are disastrous.