From the Archives Jan 3, 2018 Snapshot Why the Taliban Isn't Winning in Afghanistan Although the Taliban has demonstrated a surprising ability to survive and conduct high-profile attacks in cities like Kabul, it is weaker today than most recognize. Seth G. Jones
Security Aug 7, 2017 Snapshot Will al Qaeda Make a Comeback? Al Qaeda’s past strength has never been linear, but has waxed and waned based on multiple factors. Seth G. Jones
From the Archives Mar 21, 2017 Snapshot How Trump Should Manage Afghanistan U.S. President Donald Trump's goals in Afghanistan should be limited: aggressively pursue terrorists that threaten the United States, prevent Taliban forces from... Seth G. Jones
Security Jun 16, 2016 Snapshot Afghanistan After Mansour The killing of Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in May 2016 is unlikely to transform the conflict in Afghanistan or improve the prospects for a deal between... Seth G. Jones
Democratization Mar 17, 2016 Snapshot Democracy in the Arab World The United States’ power to force political change in the Arab world is limited, and the end of authoritarianism there isn't coming anytime soon. Seth G. Jones
Terrorism & Counterterrorism Jun 11, 2015 Snapshot Expanding the Caliphate For over a year, ISIS has been attempting to expand into South Asia. As the group gains a toehold among Afghan and Pakistani militants, the region could be in store... Seth G. Jones
Political Development Jul 21, 2013 Postscript The Enduring Mirage of the Arab Spring For those surprised by the military coup in Egypt, it is worth remembering that democracy was never the Egyptian protesters’ main goal. Rather, most were more... Seth G. Jones
Political Development January/February 2013 Essay The Mirage of the Arab Spring The Arab uprisings of 2011, once a great source of hope for democracy enthusiasts, have given way to sectarian clashes and political instability. The Middle East has... Seth G. Jones
War & Military Strategy Jan 29, 2012 Snapshot Al Qaeda in Iran Iran is holding terrorist leaders as an act of defense -- so long as it has them, al Qaeda will likely refrain from attacking Iran. But the strategy also has a... Seth G. Jones
Terrorism & Counterterrorism Nov 6, 2011 Snapshot Why the Haqqani Network is The Wrong Target The United States has placed outsized importance on disabling the Haqqani network along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Yet in focusing on this group -- which enjoys... Seth G. Jones
Strategy & Conflict May/June 2010 Review Essay It Takes the Villages Current efforts to stabilize Afghanistan are based on a misunderstanding of the country's culture and social structure. As three new books show, defeating the Taliban... Reviewed by Seth G. Jones