Syria

The international coalition must take the same comprehensive approach to HTS as it is taking to the Islamic State.

Despite the end of CIA support to the rebels, Washington can still counter the Islamic State by coordinating more deeply with Israel and Jordan, and by managing other regional actors.

A vacuum in Raqqa following the defeat of the Islamic State will embolden Iran and lay the grounds for future jihadists.

Despite collusion between the LAF and Hezbollah, the United States may still have an interest in funding the Lebanese military.

As the Islamic State devolves from governance to insurgency, NATO should stay close to its traditional role as a military alliance, not a counterterrorism agency.

Absent vigorous international complaints, Hezbollah will force Syrian refugees out of eastern Lebanon to face certain persecution from the Assad regime.

Most Kurds are now seeking rights in their respective countries, while downplaying the pan-Kurdish dream, giving Turkey more room to separate the PYD from the PKK instead of lumping them together.

Destroying the vestiges of IS governance will not eliminate the group -- which will continue to pose an insurgent and terrorist threat -- but it will remove any arguments the jihadists might be inclined to make about the near-term viability of their state.

As long as Putin keeps control of the narrative in Syria, he can forestall a resolution that compromises Russian interests.