Ursula Von Der Leyen, New York Times
The alliance is not just about bases and troops. It is about defending the world order.
Tanya Goudsouzian, TNI
If America departs the Middle East, it will not leave the region to itself, but to a free-for-all for others.
Justin Sherman, New America
The rise in internet blackouts shows that the internet is becoming more centralizedand increasingly vulnerable to manipulation.
Adnan Abu Amer, Al Monitor
Recent reports suggest that Israel has been leading a campaign in the Sinai Peninsula to stop arms smuggling to the Gaza Strip.
Tony Badran, Tablet Magazine
This week, Tablet looks back on 40 years of the Iranian Revolution. When Yasser Arafat arrived in Tehran on Feb. 17, 1979, the first foreign leader invited to visit Iran mere days after the victory of the revolution, he declared he was coming to his own home. There was some truth in Arafat's flowery words.
Dimitar Bechev, Al Jazeera
Putin received a hero's welcome in Belgrade on Thursday, but Vucic was still the biggest winner of the day.
Aaron O'Connell, WOTR
On Dec. 21, 2018, President Donald Trump surprised his own closest advisors by deciding to pull troops out of Syria and to reduce the 14,000 American
John Lichfield, Politico EU
Away from the mass demonstrations in Paris, the movement carries on.
Yanis Varoufakis, Project Syndicate
The terrifying prospect of a no-deal Brexit on March 29 remains in play after the British Parliament emphatically rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's withdrawal agreement with the EU. Although it is tempting to reset the clock and give negotiations more time, that instinct must be resisted.
Mykola Vorobiov, Atlantic Council
Ukraine's presidential election season is in full-swing. After the holiday recess, the campaign is getting even more dynamic with about forty candidates who have already declared. While the ratings fluctuate almost daily, the top five remain...
ToL
A new arms race has officially begun, with space becoming the latest frontier for weaponry. The launch today by President Trump of the Pentagon's vision for a space-based ballistic missile defence...
Lili Bayer, Pol EU
Vote breakdown highlights east-west split.
Daniel DePetris, National Interest
Can Washington avoid spending another decade of being entrapped in the Middle Eastern quicksand? Or is it dangerously close to repeating the same poor judgment?
Jon Alterman, Cairo Review
Reduced American focus on the Middle East going forward is just one of many changes with which Arab leaders will have to grapple in the coming years, and it is disorienting
