Foreign Policy Blogs

Tag Archives: Islamic State

The Future of Kurdistan: Not Always Aligned with U.S. Interests

The Future of Kurdistan: Not Always Aligned with U.S. Interests

The Kurds are often hailed as the West’s most reliable partner in the fight against the Islamic State. At the same time, they have taken advantage of the chaos in the region to get closer to achieving their dream of statehood.

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ISIS Increased Attacks Abroad are a Sign of Weakness

ISIS Increased Attacks Abroad are a Sign of Weakness

ISIS’s increased activity abroad is a sign of weakness rather than strength: the group has lost around 20% of its territory in Syria and over 40% in Iraq since its peak expansion in August 2014.

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Parallel Diplomacy in Conflict Resolution: Hope for a Safer World

Parallel Diplomacy in Conflict Resolution: Hope for a Safer World

Where governments are unable or unwilling to venture, at least publicly, for fear of losing credibility with their electorates or their allies, parallel diplomacy can offer a way forward.

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International Terrorism: From Anarchists to ISIS

International Terrorism: From Anarchists to ISIS

Terrorism has always been “international”, but what that means has changed as technologies and ideologies have advanced rapidly over the past 150 years.

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Brussels Attacks: The Immediate Aftermath

Brussels Attacks: The Immediate Aftermath

The Islamic state has claimed responsibility for the two attacks in Brussels, Belgium.

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The Islamic State in Libya

The Islamic State in Libya

ISIS’ growing activity has caught the attention of U.S. officials who see no other option than to address the Islamic State threat in Libya with military action.

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Assessing the Risk of an ISIS “Dirty Bomb”

Assessing the Risk of an ISIS “Dirty Bomb”

ISIS’ potential acquisition of radioactive material puts forward a scenario in which the extremist group may try to produce and use a “dirty bomb”.

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Who Are The Kurds? 

Who Are The Kurds? 

The multiplicity of Kurdish national movements throughout the Middle East adds an additional layer of complexity in the fight against ISIS.

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Uprooting Islamic State?

Uprooting Islamic State?

Lacking outside alliances and with the geopolitical situation slowly starting to tilt against it, Islamic State’s pretensions to act as a legitimate government seem to have its days numbered.

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Should ISIS Fighters be Allowed to Return Home?

Should ISIS Fighters be Allowed to Return Home?

Since preventing terrorist acts is extremely difficult—why take any chances by allowing fighters to return?

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Jakarta in Hunt for an Estimated 1,000 Islamic State Supporters

Jakarta in Hunt for an Estimated 1,000 Islamic State Supporters

One country on the forefront of the battle against the Islamic State is Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, which has over the past year successfully crushed militant cells.

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The Greatest Threat to U.S. Security?

The Greatest Threat to U.S. Security?

If General Dunford is right, perhaps now is the time to reconsider military assistance to the Ukraine.

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Could another ISIS surge hasten a Kurdish exit from Iraq?

Could another ISIS surge hasten a Kurdish exit from Iraq?

After a perilous roller coaster ride in 2014, the question of independence for the Kurdistan Region moves back to the front burner.

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What a Hillary Presidency Means for China

What a Hillary Presidency Means for China

With the announcement of a presidential bid by Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton on April 12, many are starting to question what impact another Clinton in the White House would have on the world’s largest nation, China.

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Candid Discussions: Sadjadpour on Saudi-Iranian Dynamics

Candid Discussions: Sadjadpour on Saudi-Iranian Dynamics

Mr. Sadjadpour recently sat down with Reza Akhlaghi of the Foreign Policy Association to discuss Saudi-Iranian dynamics and the increasing sectarian rivalry between the two Middle Eastern heavyweights.

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