It is a welcome sign that the rebels are making advances in Syria's north. But the U.S., together with its Arab allies, should do more to prevent such gains from being reversed, argues Lionel Beehner.

João Terrenas on the challenging road ahead for reconstructing South Sudan.

There are important lessons to be learned from Yemen's previous civil war in the 1960s, even if the dynamics of the current conflict are different, argues Daniel Lakin.

Lionel Beehner looks at whether a "freeze" can work in Syria. The empirical evidence paints a bleak picture.

Bridget Coggins on her new book, Power Politics and State Formation in the Twentieth Century, on how states come to be in the modern world.

Kate Cronin-Furman writes that on one key set of issues it’s not clear that regime change in Sri Lanka heralds progress: post-war reconciliation and accountability for crimes committed during the country's brutal civil war.

Should insurgent groups like ISIS control territory? Jordan Bravin examines the pros and cons.

Kevin Russell writes that Iraq's leaders, like Lincoln after the American Civil War, will need military progress and de-escalation to create space for political action.