Region & Country

The U.S. is levying sanctions more than ever to hold warring parties accountable, restrict their access to resources and nudge them toward negotiations. Yet these measures can have unintended ill effects. Washington should take additional steps to alleviate these problems.

Why the U.S. government will find no easy answers in the Sahel's coup belt

As opioid overdose deaths rise in the U.S., members of Congress have broached the idea of using U.S. military force against the Mexican criminal networks that traffic in narcotics. Such notions are irresponsible, and other politicians and opinion leaders should vigorously push back against them.

U.S. President Joe Biden promised to end the “forever wars” launched after the 9/11 attacks. In Somalia, however, his administration has reinvigorated a flawed military-first approach to battling Islamist militants. Washington should complement those efforts with others aimed at stabilisation and political reconciliation.

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s China expert Amanda Hsiao about U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China after months of deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington.

The core lesson of the 2003 Iraq war is that ruptures in autocratic settings are inherently fraught with risk. Policymakers should approach proposed interventions in such settings with caution.