Misusing Intelligence to Sell Conflict with Iran

by Paul R. Pillar Although nobody knows exactly where Donald Trump intends to go with his campaign of seeking confrontation with Iran, his administration already has provided disconcerting parallels with the techniques an earlier U.S. administration used in selling its… Continue Reading

Did Trump Greenlight Neoconservative Takeover of State Dept. and CIA?

by Eli Clifton Donald Trump is likely to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and choose Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) to take over the intelligence agency, according to “senior administration officials” who spoke to The… Continue Reading

Poll: Middle Easterners Want Good Relations with U.S., Russia

by Derek Davison A new survey from Zogby Research Services (ZRS) finds that large majorities across the Middle East want their governments to get along with both the United States and Russia, despite their hostility toward both countries’ involvement in… Continue Reading

North Korea Tests Its Third ICBM: What’s Next?

by Tim Shorrock After 74 days of silence, North Korea test-fired its third and most successful intercontinental ballistic missile to date on Tuesday night, triggering another frenzied response from the US media and the usual bluster from Washington hawks pining… Continue Reading

Kuwait and Kurdish Separatism

by Giorgio Cafiero and Jesse Schatz The unresolved Kurdish question remains a highly influential dynamic in the Middle East’s geopolitical order. Recent developments in Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan are significantly contributing to regional realignments involving Iran and Turkey—both heavily invested… Continue Reading