The announcement of the death of Taliban founder and leader Mullah Mohammad Omar (some two years after it occurred) has attracted attention to Afghanistan’s insurgency once again. And it’s about time. That insurgency has regained strength and capability in many areas of Afghanistan, including critical provinces close to the capital, as American and coalition forces […]
While the roots of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS, Daesh) may predate the Iraq War, it was its rapid conquest of Mosul, Tikrit and other Sunni Arab-populated areas in Iraq that brought it to the forefront of the policy debate. At first, the White House dismissed ISIS as “the jayvee team.” As, […]
Almost every presidential candidate has weighed in on the Iran nuclear deal reached earlier this month, including Donald Trump. Democratic front-runner Hilary Clinton cautiously welcomed the deal and noted it will “put a lid” on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. She warned Tehran’s destabilizing activities and threat to Israel still require a stringent response, noting that her posture […]
The recent news that US airstrikes may have killed two senior al Qaeda leaders – including al Qaeda’s general manager – once again raises the question of the overall effectiveness of a strategy of attrition against the group. Certainly there have been some significant blows to al Qaeda, and most recently to al Qaeda’s affiliate […]
A year ago the Islamic State first made headlines around the world by storming Mosul and conquering Iraq’s second-largest city. President Obama pledged to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the organization. Here we are a year later, and with ISIS now holding more territory—including other Iraqi cities like Ramadi—the Obama White House has yet to figure […]