Is the Global Coalition the New Baghdad Pact?

by Peter Ford The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS is now into its third month without a single air operation against the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) in Syria, and only a handful in Iraq. With IS in its caliphate… Continue Reading

Did Assad Really Use Chemical Weapons in Douma?

by Helena Cobban [Ed. note: This story has been updated with additional information below.] Last month, a network of UK-based academics challenged allegations—which the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) officially corroborated on March 1—that the Syrian government… Continue Reading

Beware Iran’s Ideological Power

by Ali Rizk As tensions flare up between the Trump administration and Iran, many observers have been quick to point out that Iran is no Iraq and that war with Iran will have far more devastating consequences. Iran, for instance,… Continue Reading

The Real Plight of Idlib’s Civilians

by Helena Cobban In the northwest Syrian province of Idlib, three million civilians find themselves at the vortex of large-scale battles as the Syrian government and its allies seek to retake the area from the rebel forces that have controlled… Continue Reading