Recent Posts

Protests Roil Havana as Cubans Push Back Against the Regime

Thousands of Cubans have taken to the streets this week to organize some of the largest protests seen in the country in decades. Videos circulating on social media show Cuban security forces violently beating protesters before detaining them and hauling them off to prison. Demonstrators rallied against declining living conditions, …

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Gulf States Divided amid Mounting Challenges

Forty years after the founding of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the six monarchies that constitute the grouping are more divided than ever on key issues. The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council differ over how to counter the threat from Iran—the same threat that prompted the GCC’s initial formation. U.S. …

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Islamic Jihad: No imminent war with Israel

Islamic Jihad Gaza politburo said Saturday that the region is not ready for another round and that the May war was a Palestinian success that both the PA and Israel are refusing to accept Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the second largest terrorist group in the Gaza Strip, said on Saturday …

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Iran’s uranium gambit is a dangerous negotiating tactic

On July 6, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran was moving ahead with manufacturing “uranium metal enriched to 20 percent U-235 [uranium’s most fissile isotope],” the latest in a series of steps violating Iran’s commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). While Tehran maintains that …

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Democracy in Afghanistan: Amid and Beyond Conflict

Stable democracy may be an elusive prospect in Afghanistan, but that in itself is no reason to stop talking about it. Although many Afghans might well prioritize security from violence over elections in the short term, voting rights are still widely valued across Afghanistan. This report examines the country’s recent …

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