A combination of pressure and diplomacy may allow the United States to help bring an end to the war in Syria.
Despite its poor prospects for the future, the Syrian regime remains as intransigent as it was on day one of the uprising.
The fact that the Kremlin has stepped up its military assistance to Syria demonstrates that Moscow has no intention of withdrawing its support from Assad.
U.S. and Turkish relations continue to be tested by both the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State and the Kurdish question.
Syria and the Middle East have been war-torn for the past four years, yet the European migrant crisis has only reached breaking point in recent months.
Russian air strikes in defense of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad might be the least bad option in a conflict that offers no promising solutions.
The road to a political agreement in Syria remains long and bumpy as the priorities of different actors continue to diverge widely.
Key external powers involved in the Syrian conflict seem to be engaged in little more than positioning and public relations. Although the prospect of ending Syria’s tragedy is tantalizing, it remains unlikely.
The Kurdistan region of Iraq enjoys more stability, economic development, and political pluralism than the rest of the country. But this assessment fails to recognize key parts of the story.
The Assad regime’s control of Syria's public institutions and the provision of essential services will need to be broken in order to solve the Syrian crisis.












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