On September 17 Russia and Turkey reached an agreement to create buffer zones between government forces and those of the opposition confronting each other in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib – in a bid to stave off an imminent regime offensive on the opposition-controlled enclave. This may have postponed the military showdown for the moment […]
The Navigator from CGP
Reflecting on U.S. Security & Global Stability 17 Years After 9/11
We are 17 years out from the horrific attacks that targeted the United States on September 11, 2001. The Center for Global Policy (CGP) dedicates this week’s Navigator to a candid self-examination and critique of the current state and future trajectory of U.S. security and global stability. It is crucial that we remain steadfast in […]
Calling on Pakistan to Help End the Afghan War
Senior U.S. officials undertook yet another trip to Pakistan in an effort to repair the disconnection between Washington and Islamabad concerning the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan. Both sides have acknowledged that the brief trip by top American diplomatic and military officials to Islamabad has kicked off a process to ‘reset’ the countries’ increasingly troubled bilateral […]
Hedging May Not Help Turkey: Lessons From Pakistan
States with small and medium levels of power have a limited range of strategic responses available when confronted with an aggressive superpower. They can prepare to confront the superpower (balance) by shoring up their capabilities or seeking alliances. They can choose to cooperate (bandwagon) with the superpower and pay the price for additional security and […]
A Fatal Flaw in the U.S. Strategy to Contain Iran
For more than 15 years, the United States has been caught between two different kinds of radicalism in the Middle East: transnational jihadism and Iran’s efforts to alter the regional security architecture. In fact, Iran’s disproportionate influence in the region is a direct, though unintended, consequence of the U.S. response to the jihadist threat — […]
Towards A New U.S. Turkey Policy
Pandemonium has long been an overriding feature of Middle Eastern affairs with the United States continuously struggling to deal with multiple issues. However, during the past few weeks, Washington has found itself in a rare complication: It is at odds with Iran and Turkey simultaneously. Washington needs good relations with Ankara in order to effectively […]