Paris attacks spoil AKP’s G-20 game plan

Turkey's AKP government will not be able to use the G-20 summit as an anti-Kurdish platform.

Syria

How one Lebanese woman is clowning around to bring laughter to refugees

The nonprofit organization Clowns Without Borders performed for two weeks to offer moments of laughter and levity.

Lebanon

Jordan tasked with establishing terrorist blacklist for Syria talks

Islamic State terrorism in France and Lebanon leads to new peace plan for Syria; Hamas and Islamic Jihad seek advantage from Palestinian uprising.

Palestine

Congress tackles terrorism after Paris attacks

Following Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris, this week Congress will be addressing issues related to a rise in radicalism and President Obama’s plans to increase the number of refugees admitted from war-torn countries.

Syria

How to defeat the Islamic State

To defeat the Islamic State, the world powers need a clear-cut, unified strategy to guide the war on terrorism.

Legacy: Gulf

What will control over Aleppo’s military base mean for Assad?

An expert on the situation in Syria talks to Al-Monitor about the repercussions of the Syrian army’s recent operation, where it succeeded in lifting the siege of the Kuweires military air base east of Aleppo.

Syria

Has the Islamic State returned to Lebanon?

Details of the twin explosions that hit Beirut’s southern suburb — Hezbollah’s stronghold — still need to be revealed, while the Islamic State has already claimed responsibility for it.

Lebanon

Are Syria’s Salafi movements witnessing a split?

The creation of Jaish al-Sham might be indicative of widening ideological fissures inside Ahrar al-Sham and other Salafi movements in Syria.

Syria

Iran doubts US goals in Syria talks

Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said Iran will decide whether to participate in the next round of Vienna II talks on Syria after reviewing whether the United States is working behind the scenes to push its own agenda.

Saudi Arabia

Kurdish infighting complicates Sinjar offensive

In the wake of a massive assault on the Islamic State for the city of Sinjar, Iraq, there is speculation about how disagreements among Kurdish factions will play out.

Iraq

Lebanon continues to struggle under weight of Syrian refugee crisis

Lebanon is struggling to cope with the Syrian displacement crisis amid weak international action.

Lebanon

Has Syria been a military success for Iran?

Iran was willing to negotiate its nuclear situation with world powers, but it wants everyone to know it is far from ready to abandon its strategic interests in the region.

Syria