Will Manbij fighters heed the call to return home? The Manbij Military Council has called on rebel fighters from Manbij to desert their militias and return to their cities and villages. Syria
SDF avoids fight with Trump over budget cut The Trump administration's proposed 2021 budget would diminish the SDF's ability to effectively fight IS, but the coalition is unlikely to protest the steep cuts out of fear of angering Trump. Syria
Meet the AIPAC leaders bankrolling the Bernie Sanders attack ads Several high-profile AIPAC donors are bankrolling ads against Bernie Sanders’ presidential bid as the lobbying group tackles the growing criticism of Israel among Democrats. Israel
The Takeaway: February 19, 2020 Erdogan’s bad and worse options in Syria; Iran’s Assembly of Experts election another loser for Reformists; Jordan fuming over Trump peace plan...and electricity bills; and more! Originals
Far-left current rises from among Iranian hardliners Iran’s ultraconservatives have given birth to their worst nightmare — a group so left-leaning that hardliners consider them would-be communists. Iran
Edelman strikes $6 million deal with Saudis to promote G-20 business summit Saudi petrochemicals company SABIC has hired the Chicago-based PR giant to support this year’s Business 20 gathering in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
What a Russian-Turkish compromise on Idlib may look like Although a new round of Russia-Turkey talks on Idlib failed, there are still ways to settle the conflict. Syria
Iran says Zarif met with US senator for ‘public diplomacy’ Iran’s foreign minister says his weekend meeting with a US senator in Germany was a diplomatic effort to get his nation’s voice heard by the American people. Congress
Intel: What's behind Erdogan's latest threat of imminent attack in Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the parliament yesterday that an operation against Syrian government forces in the rebel-held province of Idlib was “a matter of moments” after talks between Turkish officials and their Russian counterparts in Moscow failed to deliver “the desired result.” Syria
Turkish judges postpone verdict in Amnesty International case A Turkish court has postponed its final rulings in the infamous Buyukada trial until April as the defendants use lengthy closing statements to enter every piece of evidence of their innocence into the record. Turkey
Intel: Why Trump is calling a Democrat’s Iran meeting illegal President Donald Trump doubled down on his accusation today that Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., violated the law by meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the annual Munich Security Conference over the weekend. United States
Clashes in northern Syria drift from Idlib to Aleppo As the Idlib escalation winds down to a stalemate between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and Turkish troops, the clashes are shifting to Aleppo. Syria
Syrian crossings reopen, freeing up flow of people, goods The closed crossings that have separated Turkish-affiliated forces in Syria from those of the Kurds have reopened, allowing for trade and travel in those areas for the first time in months. Syria
Israel needs narrow government, not national unity A narrow government should not be the default plan of Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz, but a first choice and his best strategy for change. Israel
Netanyahu’s holy alliance with rightwing, ultra-Orthodox Israel's right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties have practically elevated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sainthood in light of his tireless efforts on their behalf, including the extremist Otzma Yehudit. Israel
After pulling every trick in the book, Netanyahu left with little Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just two weeks left to shift the public's attention away from the date set for his trial to other issues, such as the coronavirus. Israel
