This publication is now archived. What’s the significance of Lebanon’s parliamentary elections?They are the first democratic elections since 1976, when Syria began a 29-year occupation of its neighbo…

This publication is now archived. What’s the status of U.S.-Syrian relations?Very strained. Relations with Syria, a supporter of terrorism, have never been warm, but they briefly improved after 9/11…

This publication is now archived. Syria’s slow declineWhat a difference five years makes. At the beginning of the century, Syria was a proud Arab country, ruled with brutal consistency for thirty yea…

Bashar al-Assad, whose regime looked shaky under international pressure last year, is consolidating his power and cracking down on dissent. Despite a UN probe linking Syrian officials to the assassin…

A surge in pirate attacks off the Somali coast in recent years has prompted the deployment of an international coalition of navies. But experts say that military force alone cannot address the underl…