Racing to the finish line, ignoring the cliff: The challenges after Mosul (Ian Merritt, Kenneth M. Pollack, Brookings)

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/markaz/2016/09/19/racing-to-the-finish-line-ignoring-the-cliff-the-challenges-after-mosul/

How has the Syrian civil war affected Hezbollah, and what should the U.S. do? (Ian Merritt, Brookings)

The media focus on the Islamic State has taken the spotlight off another powerful Middle East rebel and terrorist group that also controls territory and acts like a state: Lebanese Hezbollah. In recent testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, Dan Byman, a senior fellow and director of research in the Center for Middle East Policy, described the ongoing transformation of Hezbollah—particularly since it entered the Syrian civil war—and the implications for the region and the United States.

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Ian Merritt. Research Assistant, Foreign Policy, Center for Middle East Policy

Not going to fix itself: Why the U.S. should reengage in a troubled Middle East (Ian Merritt, Brookings)

With the Middle East experiencing historic instability at the moment, many in Washington are debating the role that the United States should play in the region. Should it continue with limited engagement (such as narrowly focusing on critical national security concerns like counterterrorism), disengage from the seemingly intractable region, or return to a central leadership position?

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/03/11-security-in-middle-east-report-merritt