International
In Syria, the fog of war
Ross Burns
17 April 2018
Chemical weapons have been a feature of the Syrian conflict since 2011. Are we any closer to a strategy to deal with their use — and with the forces fuelling the wider conflict?
International
Iran, Trump and the art of deal-breaking
John Tilemann
16 October 2017
White House decisions are making life harder for America’s allies, and not just in the Middle East
International
How close is the end of the war in Syria?
Ross Burns
25 September 2017
Foreign interference, however well-intentioned, could still prolong the conflict
“We made it impossible for them to steal our votes again”
R. Tousi
7 July 2017
Despite the tough Middle Eastern neighborhood and internal resistance, Iranians continue to seek greater freedom and equality
International
A turning point in Syria?
Ross Burns
24 June 2017
Islamic State’s destruction of the heritage of a great Islamic leader, Nur al-Din, signals a new desperation
International
After Khan Sheikhun
Ross Burns
10 April 2017
Signs that Bashar al-Assad is panicking could create an opportunity to re-engage the Syrian peace talks
National affairs
A dangerous game
Tom Hyland
5 April 2017
The campaign to hide the full truth of Australia’s involvement in the Iraq war continues
International
“Offensive, defensive, everything”
Andy Butfoy
9 March 2017
Character and content can be hard to disentangle in assessing Donald Trump’s international security policies
Books & arts
Looking forward by looking back
Matthew Gray
2 December 2016
Books | Can the Ottoman Empire offer a guide to the future of the Middle East?
National affairs
What Britain’s Iraq inquiry means for Australia
Judith Betts
8 July 2016
Deft media management took the sting out of Australia’s first inquiry into the decision to go to war in Iraq
Books & arts
An “ordinary guy” in extraordinary times
Tom Hyland
1 April 2016
Books | David Kilcullen helps us make sense of the madness unleashed by Islamic State, writes Tom Hyland. But he’s less convincing about what we should do next
Fred Halliday’s futurity
David Hayes
1 March 2016
Six years after his death, the work of a protean internationalist scholar has never been more relevant, writes David Hayes
International
The Arab outlook: beware the return of hope
Bob Bowker
15 January 2016
The West’s failures have combined with bad national leadership to open the way for the wrong kind of anticipation
International
Making nice and making enemies
John Besemeres
10 December 2015
Vladimir Putin’s actions in the Middle East reflect his view that all relationships are zero-sum games, writes John Besemeres
International
What we should have learnt from the war on terror
Paul Rogers
23 November 2015
The strategy against ISIS must recognise that this fourteen-year conflict hasn’t played out anywhere near as expected, writes Paul Rogers
International
Citizens of the world
Jane Goodall
16 November 2015
In the face of the attacks in Paris and Beirut, the philosophical heritage of stoicism carries a radical challenge, writes Jane Goodall
International
Beyond the spectacle of violence
Matthew Gray
17 September 2015
The crisis in Syria could easily worsen, writes Matthew Gray, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Islamic State is in the ascendant
Books & arts
Conflict out of chaos
Matthew Gray
20 March 2015
Books | The Islamic State seemed to appear out of nowhere, writes Matthew Gray, but its origins lie in decades of conflict and bad decisions
Books & arts
The world’s largest stateless nation?
Matthew Gray
5 February 2015
Books | Matthew Gray reviews an illuminating account of a diverse nationality in search of self-determination
Essays & reportage
“Queue jumping”: the view from afar
David Corlett
27 January 2015
The fairness of Australia’s refugee policies looks different at the Al Zaatari camp, writes David Corlett
International
Will today’s allies become, yet again, tomorrow’s enemies?
John Quiggin
6 October 2014
When a militarily powerful country tries to govern the affairs of millions of people on the other side of the planet, we shouldn’t be surprised that chaos results, writes…
International
The Islamic state in context
Tarek Osman
10 July 2013
Fears of the emergence of an Islamic state in Egypt or other countries in the region are at odds with thirteen centuries of history, writes Tarek Osman
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