Century International
@centuryintl.bsky.social
@tcfdotorg.bsky.social's Center for International Research and Policy, focused on the human impact of global policy. We are independent, critical, and progressive.
American interest in Iraq’s November 11 parliamentary elections is mostly focused on whether Iraqis will choose pro-Iran representatives. That’s a mistake, @sajadjiyad.bsky.social argues in a new commentary. (1/3)
Apathy and Skepticism Cloud Iraq’s Upcoming Election
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:21 PM
American interest in Iraq’s November 11 parliamentary elections is mostly focused on whether Iraqis will choose pro-Iran representatives. That’s a mistake, @sajadjiyad.bsky.social argues in a new commentary. (1/3)
There was a brief moment after Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed last December when the impossible felt possible in Syria. That moment, @anasjoudeh.bsky.social argues in a new commentary, has, sadly, evaporated. (1/5)
A Catch-22 of Suspicion Imperils Syria’s Transition to Democracy
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
October 28, 2025 at 1:15 PM
There was a brief moment after Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed last December when the impossible felt possible in Syria. That moment, @anasjoudeh.bsky.social argues in a new commentary, has, sadly, evaporated. (1/5)
A popular story holds that colonial borders are the source of problems in the Middle East. The narrative is promoted by everyone from the Islamic State to American politicians—neoconservative and liberal and otherwise. (1/5)
Beyond Bad Borders: How Nationalism, Imperialism, and Power Politics Shaped the Modern Middle East
In 2014, the Islamic State swept across large swaths of Iraq and Syria, soon emerging as the obligatory lede for every article about the Middle East and
tcf.org
October 21, 2025 at 1:24 PM
A popular story holds that colonial borders are the source of problems in the Middle East. The narrative is promoted by everyone from the Islamic State to American politicians—neoconservative and liberal and otherwise. (1/5)
22 years after Saddam’s fall, Iraq is being pulled toward two starkly different possible futures: a central government that serves its populace—or state capture by armed groups and special interests. (1/5)
Integrate, Normalize, or Fight: Choices Facing the Shia Armed Factions in Iraq
Iraq’s two-decade-long state-building project is facing a precarious moment. On the one hand, the country is closer than ever to having a functioning
tcf.org
October 7, 2025 at 4:35 PM
22 years after Saddam’s fall, Iraq is being pulled toward two starkly different possible futures: a central government that serves its populace—or state capture by armed groups and special interests. (1/5)
In foreign policy as in domestic, Trump’s opponents have so far failed to do much more than chase at his heels with reactive objections as he plows ahead with reckless gambits. (1/5)
Progressives Can Lead With a Just Foreign Policy. First, They Must Confront Their Mistakes.
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
September 23, 2025 at 1:24 PM
In foreign policy as in domestic, Trump’s opponents have so far failed to do much more than chase at his heels with reactive objections as he plows ahead with reckless gambits. (1/5)
After Lebanon’s energy system collapsed in 2019–21, the country’s solar production increased 10x in a few short years—one of the world’s more unlikely renewable energy revolutions. (1/3)
The Future of Lebanon’s Unlikely Solar Revolution
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tcf.org
September 16, 2025 at 2:15 PM
After Lebanon’s energy system collapsed in 2019–21, the country’s solar production increased 10x in a few short years—one of the world’s more unlikely renewable energy revolutions. (1/3)
Lebanon finally has a viable plan for Syrian refugees to safely return to their country. But can the plan survive Lebanon’s anti-Syrian politics and the realities of ongoing violence and economic crisis in Syria? 1/3
Home to Syria: Lebanon’s New Refugee Returns Plan
Lebanon has grappled for years with how to manage its Syrian refugee population. This year, though, Lebanon finally adopted an official plan for refugee
tcf.org
August 12, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Lebanon finally has a viable plan for Syrian refugees to safely return to their country. But can the plan survive Lebanon’s anti-Syrian politics and the realities of ongoing violence and economic crisis in Syria? 1/3
For now, attention has shifted away from America’s decision in late June to join an elective war against Iran. The disaster is still unfolding—though it’s not too late to correct course. 1/3
America Can Still Escape Disaster in Iran
It was just a month ago that Donald Trump bombed Iran against the advice of his own intelligence services and claimed that the country’s nuclear
tcf.org
August 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
For now, attention has shifted away from America’s decision in late June to join an elective war against Iran. The disaster is still unfolding—though it’s not too late to correct course. 1/3
Sources to follow on Syria: in a new commentary, @aronlund.bsky.social has compiled a must-follow list of media for policymakers and analysts with a fresh interest in Syrian affairs tcf.org/content/comm...
Syria for Beginners: Five Sources to Follow
Israel’s bombing of Syria last week, in an apparent attempt to intervene in brewing communal bloodshed in the country’s south, drove home a point that
tcf.org
July 22, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Sources to follow on Syria: in a new commentary, @aronlund.bsky.social has compiled a must-follow list of media for policymakers and analysts with a fresh interest in Syrian affairs tcf.org/content/comm...
Trump’s reckless USAID cuts probably slowed Lebanon's solar transition, but they also revealed structural flaws in the aid regime. Lebanese entrepreneurs could pick up some slack—but their impact will be uneven. New Q&A w/ Zack Cuyler & Camillo Stubenberg tcf.org/content/comm...
July 15, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Trump’s reckless USAID cuts probably slowed Lebanon's solar transition, but they also revealed structural flaws in the aid regime. Lebanese entrepreneurs could pick up some slack—but their impact will be uneven. New Q&A w/ Zack Cuyler & Camillo Stubenberg tcf.org/content/comm...
New CI report by @delaneysimon.bsky.social provides a case study of Joe Biden’s unprecedented efforts last year to sanction Israeli settlers, with crucial lessons for future sanctions efforts against Israeli settlers. (1/6) tcf.org/content/comm...
June 26, 2025 at 1:06 PM
New CI report by @delaneysimon.bsky.social provides a case study of Joe Biden’s unprecedented efforts last year to sanction Israeli settlers, with crucial lessons for future sanctions efforts against Israeli settlers. (1/6) tcf.org/content/comm...
Israel and the United States aren’t after regime change in Iran.
Their goal is to break the Iranian state, writes CI fellow @veenaa.bsky.social in a new commentary.
That’s a huge problem—for the region, for the Iranian people, for U.S. interests, and even for Israel (1/3) tcf.org/content/comm...
Their goal is to break the Iranian state, writes CI fellow @veenaa.bsky.social in a new commentary.
That’s a huge problem—for the region, for the Iranian people, for U.S. interests, and even for Israel (1/3) tcf.org/content/comm...
Israel and the United States Are Planting a Harvest of Chaos in Iran
The first phase of Israel’s war in Iran has been astonishingly effective. Israel is now in total control of Iranian airspace. A who’s-who of Iranian
tcf.org
June 23, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Israel and the United States aren’t after regime change in Iran.
Their goal is to break the Iranian state, writes CI fellow @veenaa.bsky.social in a new commentary.
That’s a huge problem—for the region, for the Iranian people, for U.S. interests, and even for Israel (1/3) tcf.org/content/comm...
Their goal is to break the Iranian state, writes CI fellow @veenaa.bsky.social in a new commentary.
That’s a huge problem—for the region, for the Iranian people, for U.S. interests, and even for Israel (1/3) tcf.org/content/comm...
Syria’s rivers are polluted and overdrawn, its forests depleted, and its wildlife decimated.
In a new commentary, @zfshuker.bsky.social writes that Syria’s environmental catastrophe is much more than an aesthetic crisis.
In fact, it poses direct threats to its economy and stability.
In a new commentary, @zfshuker.bsky.social writes that Syria’s environmental catastrophe is much more than an aesthetic crisis.
In fact, it poses direct threats to its economy and stability.
Syria’s Environmental Crisis Is Its Achilles Heel
It may be hard to imagine now, but Syrians once thought of their environmental treasures as being close to the soul of their country. As recently as a
tcf.org
June 17, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Syria’s rivers are polluted and overdrawn, its forests depleted, and its wildlife decimated.
In a new commentary, @zfshuker.bsky.social writes that Syria’s environmental catastrophe is much more than an aesthetic crisis.
In fact, it poses direct threats to its economy and stability.
In a new commentary, @zfshuker.bsky.social writes that Syria’s environmental catastrophe is much more than an aesthetic crisis.
In fact, it poses direct threats to its economy and stability.
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is, at least as much as anything else, a clash between the haves and the have-nots. A new CI report from @dahliasc.bsky.social explains how. (1/6)
The Economic Foundation for Peace in Israel and Palestine
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is, at least as much as anything else, a clash between the haves and the have-nots. Long before Hamas massacred civilians
tcf.org
May 27, 2025 at 5:31 PM
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is, at least as much as anything else, a clash between the haves and the have-nots. A new CI report from @dahliasc.bsky.social explains how. (1/6)
Hezbollah may be broken as a fighting force, but its base is still wedded to “resistance,” writes @simagh.bsky.social in a new report from Lebanon. The unique situation offers an object lesson on the limits of military power to change political realities. tcf.org/content/repo...
Doubting the Party, Revering Its Ideology: Hezbollah’s Battered Constituencies Reckon with a Year of Loss
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
May 22, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Hezbollah may be broken as a fighting force, but its base is still wedded to “resistance,” writes @simagh.bsky.social in a new report from Lebanon. The unique situation offers an object lesson on the limits of military power to change political realities. tcf.org/content/repo...
“Why can’t we be sad?” said a 36-year-old butcher in Beirut. “There were civilians. Should I congratulate people for their deaths? Should we all be congratulating one another?” @simagh.bsky.social captures the disillusionment of Hezbollah’s base in Lebanon in a new report tcf.org/content/repo...
Doubting the Party, Revering Its Ideology: Hezbollah’s Battered Constituencies Reckon with a Year of Loss
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
May 22, 2025 at 12:36 PM
“Why can’t we be sad?” said a 36-year-old butcher in Beirut. “There were civilians. Should I congratulate people for their deaths? Should we all be congratulating one another?” @simagh.bsky.social captures the disillusionment of Hezbollah’s base in Lebanon in a new report tcf.org/content/repo...
“Claiming victory in death”—@simagh.bsky.social ’s riveting new dispatch from Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon shows that its constituents are doubting the organization, but doubling down on its ideology. New report tcf.org/content/repo...
Doubting the Party, Revering Its Ideology: Hezbollah’s Battered Constituencies Reckon with a Year of Loss
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
May 22, 2025 at 7:57 AM
“Claiming victory in death”—@simagh.bsky.social ’s riveting new dispatch from Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon shows that its constituents are doubting the organization, but doubling down on its ideology. New report tcf.org/content/repo...
“An entirely screwed up way to arrive at the ideal policy outcome”— @abujamajem.com on Trump’s welcome lifting of Syria sanctions. New CI roundtable discusses potus MENA trip: tcf.org/content/comm...
May 21, 2025 at 1:17 PM
“An entirely screwed up way to arrive at the ideal policy outcome”— @abujamajem.com on Trump’s welcome lifting of Syria sanctions. New CI roundtable discusses potus MENA trip: tcf.org/content/comm...
In search of a Trump Doctrine: CI fellows analyze the president’s MENA trip & conclude that transactionalism is the only unifying credo—even when some outcomes are good. Read more from @aronlund.bsky.social @abujamajem.com @tcambanis.bsky.social
@dahliasc.bsky.social @rohanadvani.bsky.social
@dahliasc.bsky.social @rohanadvani.bsky.social
Roundtable: Trump’s Middle East Transactions
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
May 20, 2025 at 10:47 PM
In search of a Trump Doctrine: CI fellows analyze the president’s MENA trip & conclude that transactionalism is the only unifying credo—even when some outcomes are good. Read more from @aronlund.bsky.social @abujamajem.com @tcambanis.bsky.social
@dahliasc.bsky.social @rohanadvani.bsky.social
@dahliasc.bsky.social @rohanadvani.bsky.social
Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs mean that the 1990s dream of peace and democracy in the Middle East through economic liberalization is dead, writes @rohanadvani.bsky.social in a new commentary. (1/6)
May 6, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs mean that the 1990s dream of peace and democracy in the Middle East through economic liberalization is dead, writes @rohanadvani.bsky.social in a new commentary. (1/6)
Faced with the most serious threat in its history, the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” is turning back to basics: local power. (1/6)
April 22, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Faced with the most serious threat in its history, the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” is turning back to basics: local power. (1/6)
The fall of Assad hasn’t ended the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, as many Lebanese hoped. In fact, even as some displaced go home, new waves of Syrians are going the other way. 1/4
April 1, 2025 at 2:46 PM
The fall of Assad hasn’t ended the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, as many Lebanese hoped. In fact, even as some displaced go home, new waves of Syrians are going the other way. 1/4
Persian Gulf countries can’t avoid dealing with the Trump administration, but American “gifts” could lock them into risky long-term arrangements—whether in finance, security, or politics. New commentary from @rohanadvani.bsky.social
Will Gulf Countries Think Trump's Glitter Is Gold?
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
March 24, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Persian Gulf countries can’t avoid dealing with the Trump administration, but American “gifts” could lock them into risky long-term arrangements—whether in finance, security, or politics. New commentary from @rohanadvani.bsky.social
US policymakers need to face facts: it’s too soon to write the epitaph for the Axis of Resistance. Axis groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis have been diminished, but retain significant local power as a decentralized network, argue @veenaa.bsky.social and @tcambanis.bsky.social in a new report. 1/3
March 20, 2025 at 11:14 AM
US policymakers need to face facts: it’s too soon to write the epitaph for the Axis of Resistance. Axis groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis have been diminished, but retain significant local power as a decentralized network, argue @veenaa.bsky.social and @tcambanis.bsky.social in a new report. 1/3
Sunni ex-militiamen protect a Shia shrine from jihadists and regime remnants: one scene in a dispatch from Damascus shows the tenuous mix of hope and fear, opportunity and danger in Syria’s new order. By @tcambanis.bsky.social
Damascus Dispatch: Fear and Hope in a Divided Syria
The Century Foundation The Century Foundation The Century Foundation
tcf.org
March 18, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Sunni ex-militiamen protect a Shia shrine from jihadists and regime remnants: one scene in a dispatch from Damascus shows the tenuous mix of hope and fear, opportunity and danger in Syria’s new order. By @tcambanis.bsky.social