US Opinion and Commentary

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Iran Refuses to Release Prisoner of Conscience Mohammad Ali Taheri

Posted October 3rd, 2016 at 10:11 am (UTC-4)
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By Barbara Slavin When Iranian officials come to the United Nations, they are usually met with questions about their human rights practices, particularly the arrest of dual nationals. This year was no different as interlocutors brought up the cases of Siamak Namazi and his father, Baquer; another Iranian-American, Robin Shahini; a British-Iranian mother, Nazenin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, […]

Iraq’s Opportunity in the Battle for Mosul

Posted September 2nd, 2016 at 12:12 pm (UTC-4)
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For Iraq, retaking Mosul could bring a fresh start for its young democracy by restoring the country’s historic harmony between Sunnis and Shiites….After years of such violence – by Saddam Hussein, al Qaeda, and now IS – Iraqis may be in a better mood to reconcile.

More War Than Peace

Posted February 17th, 2016 at 3:29 pm (UTC-4)
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Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz two centuries ago gave the pithiest answer to the question of why we resort to violence: War is an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will.” But can force alone compel the submission of the Islamic State and the demise of jihadist extremism in the Muslim world?