There is no guarantee that a partitioned Syria would create a more stable environment. Many Syrians would reject partition and would attempt to reverse it.
Turkey is the one of the U.S.’s most important allies in the Mideast, but recent actions such as the downing of a Russian fighter raise important questions about its reliability as a partner.
Israel’s land seizure of 154 hectares in the Jordan Valley will displace Palestinian communities.
Reuters/Mohamad Torokman
Settlements are illegal on occupied territory. They undermine the widely acknowledged right of Palestine to statehood. Yet Israel violates international law with near impunity.
Islamic State propaganda lures both friends and foes into disproportionately focusing on the group’s strengths and overlooking its weakness.
Reuters
2016 will be a year of transitions in the Australia-US relationship. Against a backdrop of change are three important issues: the fight against Islamic State, China, and passage of the TPP.
The new era begins in earnest.
Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
Demographic changes have made the idea of a two-state solution obsolete. The Israeli population is becoming more religious and more conservative. That makes the army more difficult to command.
Iran’s Hasan Rouhani is back on the diplomatic trail.
Reuters
The executions on the weekend are notable for the sheer number of people killed. However, they maintain a policy of political crackdown that was reinvigorated in Saudi Arabia during the Arab Spring.
Gareth Evans, foreign minister in the Hawke government, brought an ambitious vision for Australia’s international diplomacy to cabinet.
AAP
There is little of Gareth Evans’ sweeping analysis in the cabinet papers of 1990-91 of a rapidly changing world order or of his vision of good international citizenship.
Australia has again failed to secure an invitation to a meeting of the International Syria Support Group that is trying to find a political solution to the conflict.
My employers think I know something about the practice and theory of international relations. Perhaps I shouldn’t draw attention to my shortcomings in this area given that my university is currently in…
A growing conflict and poor governance are both playing a role in the failure to protect Yemen’s cultural landmarks.
Reuters
By pursuing their strategic goals in the region, the UK, US and an Arab coalition are indirectly contributing to the destruction of Yemen’s cultural heritage.
Australia’s current military involvement in the Middle East has not been properly scrutinised by parliament.
AAP/Australian Defence
Across the world, debates have emerged around the extent to which the legislative branch should be involved in – and even have the final say on – authorisation of military deployment.
Senior Associate Fellow on the Middle East at RUSI; Associate Professor in Politics & International Relations; Deputy Director of the Centre on US Politics, UCL