Friday, December 8, 2023
Press
Experts from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest analysis and perspective on the world’s critical hot spots, U.S. and global security and issues involved in violent conflict, based on the Institute’s work on the ground and with key individuals, governments and organizations. They give interviews and background briefings to journalists and write for news outlets around the world.
Under pressure in Ukraine, Putin lashes out at US in Syria - The Hill
Dangerous confrontations between Russia and the United States in the skies over Syria point to an escalating shadow war as Russian President Vladimir Putin suffers more losses in Ukraine. Experts warn that Putin is looking to strike against the U.S. for supporting Ukraine in its defensive war, with Moscow...
Observers Warn About Culture of Impunity in Lebanon - Voice of America
As Lebanon remembered its catastrophic Beirut port blast of three years ago Friday, observers say a culture of impunity has taken hold in the country, with no one held accountable for crimes, including the banking crisis that led to the financial collapse. Improperly stored ammonium nitrate at the Beirut port...
How Syria's Assad is using aid access to hasten normalization - Al-Monitor
The United States and its partners are closely watching negotiations between United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths and the Syrian government over continued aid access, weeks after Russia blocked the renewal of a near-decade-long humanitarian operation in northwest Syria. "We are prepared...
Why Jihad Azour could become Lebanon's next president - The National
Lebanon's opposition camp has been infused with renewed optimism as Jihad Azour, a former finance minister and regional director at the International Monetary Fund, emerged as the favoured contender for the country's vacant presidency after months of political turmoil. Backed by key Christian parties and a coalition of independent MPs, Mr Azour's nomination strategically aims to thwart the...
‘Conundrum’: How the US is dealing with Assad normalisation - Al Jazeera
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is officially back in the Arab fold. After more than a dozen years of ostracism, he was warmly embraced by regional leaders at the Arab League summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this week. This once-unthinkable comeback creates a “conundrum” for the United States, which continues to...
In Brief: What’s Happening In The Middle East? - War on the Rocks
A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep into a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it...
What does the Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iran deal mean for Syria? - Syria Direct
Saudi diplomats visited the Iranian capital on Saturday to discuss the reopening of both countries’ embassies, taking the latest material step towards restoring relations under a tripartite agreement announced by Riyadh, Tehran and Beijing in March. Saudi Arabia and Iran, moving to mend ties after seven...
ISIS fighters and families under guard in Syria pose ‘problem from hell’ for US forces - Stars and Stripes
The repatriation of Islamic State fighters, family members and refugees living in makeshift camps and prisons in Syria will take decades at its current pace, a quandary that U.S. military officials and analysts say adds to the risk of a militant resurgence. More than 50,000 people, mostly women and children from about 60 countries, are housed at a camp named al-Hol, which was described...
The Takeaway - Al-Monitor
WASHINGTON — Three words — “Assad must go'' — once came to define US policy in Syria. Today, the Biden administration's stance could be summarized as, Assad must not be normalized without something in return. The Arab world is rebuilding ties with President Bashar al-Assad, more than a decade after...