Terrorism

The Trump administration needs to quietly but firmly signal Baghdad that enshrining the militia umbrella group as a de facto “Iraqi IRGC” would pose an unacceptable threat to U.S. interests.

The Kurdish-led group has reached important understandings with the new leadership in Damascus, but finalizing and implementing them while resolving points of contention will require further help from the United States and its partners.

A former Iraqi prime minister is using his freedom from U.S. sanctions to act as an envoy between designated terrorist groups.

Khazali presents himself as a mainstream political figure, but his internal narrative reveals unwavering loyalty to Iran's "axis of resistance" and a deeply entrenched extremist ideology opposed to the West.

Uli al-Baas certainly looks and feels like an Iran-supported militia info-ops platform, designed to give the impression (possibly accurate) that a pantheon of armed groups are activating to fight Israel and the new Syrian government.

Washington should act quickly to facilitate transactions for key sectors such as electricity, food, and rubble removal, lest public discontent lead to widespread protests and possibly government collapse.

Beirut stands at the goal line of a major win for the Middle East, but only if America quarterbacks the last push.

With the clock ticking on the post-Assad honeymoon period, Washington still has time to acknowledge the realities on the ground by providing crucial U.S. know-how and strategic support to the international aid, recovery, and counterterrorism missions.

The cessation of Houthi-Iraqi joint strikes on Israel does not mean that Houthi money-movers and trainers have gone home; more likely, they are now a permanent feature of Iraq and merit close scrutiny from counterterrorism analysts.