Protracted, neglected, and ineffective: Lessons from the Lebanon tribunal
International courts are no substitute for politics – not least when the countries that set them up fail to back them
Syria / Iraq / Lebanon
After the Beirut blast: Lebanon’s descent into chaos
It is imperative that the European Union provide sustained support to key actors in Lebanon, working around the Lebanese state wherever possible
Torn between two allies: How Europeans can reduce Iraqi dependence on Iran and the US
Europe should help the Kadhimi government undertake political and economic reform, increase its geopolitical autonomy, and take on a greater security role
Economic meltdown in the Middle East: How Europe can soften the impact
Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq are all teetering on the brink of economic collapse. Europe cannot afford to be a helpless bystander.
Politicised aid: Why Europe should sustain cross-border humanitarian assistance to northern Syria
European countries should work to renew the UN Security Council resolution on cross-border humanitarian access to northern Syria, lest the area slides into a deeper humanitarian crisis
What Assad’s ‘victory’ could mean for Syrians in Germany
Germany is a safe haven for Syrians for now – but a government decision to lift the ban on sending refugees back to Assad’s Syria would have catastrophic consequences
A new Gaza: Turkey’s border policy in northern Syria
EU member states can find ways to cooperate with Turkey to support stabilisation in parts of the safe zone, without violating their interests and core principle
Deep sea rivals: Europe, Turkey, and new eastern Mediterranean conflict lines
The eastern Mediterranean is becoming ever more perilous as geopolitical fault lines steadily enmesh the region. These rifts emerge from the Cyprus ‘frozen conflict’, competition for valuable gas fields, and the increasingly entangled wars in Libya and Syria.
Time for a reset: Iraq’s new prime minister and the US-Iran rivalry
Iraq needs to reset its relations with both Tehran and Washington in a way that protects Iraqi sovereignty and allows the central government to reassert control over the security apparatus
The path through Moscow: How Europe can help Syria
Syrian opposition figure calls on Europe to work closely with Washington to build on growing Russian frustration with the Assad regime and increase their demands of Moscow