After a period of on and off talks, the US and Taliban signed the Doha Agreement in February 2020. The US agreed to initial reduction of US forces from 13,000 to 8,600 troops by July 2020, followed by a complete withdrawal by May 2021 in return for a Taliban pledge to prevent Al-Qaeda from operating in areas under Taliban control, as well as talks with the Afghan government. Taking advantage of the US forces withdrawal, the Taliban quickly captured many provinces throughout the country. In mid-August 2021, the Taliban captured the capital Kabul, effectively ending the administration of President Ashraf Ghani who fle...

In 2003, the United States spearheaded an invasion into Iraq, with the stated goal of toppling Saddam Hussein. While this was accomplished fairly rapidly, the ensuing occupation of Iraq and attempt to restore stability has caused considerable strain on the United States’ military. Iraq is attempting to form a cohesive, functioning government, but internecine conflicts between Sunni and Shiite factions and individual tribal factions are crippling these efforts. Suicide and car bombings are daily occurrences. The pullout of US allies since the start of 2009, and the pullout of almost all US forces in 2011 led to increased chaos in the already troubled country. In mid-June 2014 the Sunni Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militant group (ISIS-who late changed its name to Islamic State) who had captured vast parts of Syria, had entered Iraq and quickly captured vast territory including Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city.

Due to the small overall size of the country and the lengthy common border with Palestinian-controlled areas, most of the cities and towns around Israel have suffered from terrorist attacks. While there has been a drop in the number of attacks in Israel in recent years, Palestinian organizations are still attempting to carry out attacks in Israeli urban centers. In response to Hamas' and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket firing on Israeli towns, Israel launched a series of aerial and ground attacks targeting Hamas' interests. The latest major round of clashes took place in 2019. The mutual bombardments ended with an Egyptian mediated ceasefire. A lasting ceasefire is doubtful; with militants’ rocket attacks in the medium and long term are virtually certain. Since late 2015, Israel has experienced numerous “lone wolf” attacks involving vehicular attacks and cold weapons attacks, targeting both security personnel and civilians. Since the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011 and due to the growing Iranian involvement, there, which Israel views as a direct threat to its national security, the IDF has repeatedly targeted Hizballah and Iran's Revolutionary Guards Quds unit in both Lebanon and Syria. While the Iranian and Hizballah respond to these attacks were negligible, the attacks brings Iran and Israel closer to an all-open war.

Following the political power vacuum left by the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan has lost a great deal of ground to the growing forces of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Both of these groups have essentially invaded Pakistan to escape the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. From the northern border regions down to very near Islamabad itself, the defacto rulers generally are tribesmen, Taliban, or al-Qaeda. Pakistan faces daily violence, ranging from terrorist attacks to overt combat between government forces and Taliban/tribesmen/al-Qaeda troops. Even the urban areas under government control still face a high risk of political protests and rioting. The government remains splintered and largely ineffectual, making a resolution to this crisis seem unlikely in the foreseeable future.

ONGOING: In a rare show of dissent inspired by the popular uprising in the Middle East, antigovernment demonstrators took to the streets in mid- March 2011. Despite a brutal crackdown by security forces and presidential promises to carry out a series of social, economic and political reforms, the protest continued. In late April, authorities lifted the 48 years-old state of emergency law, which effectively suppressed the rights and freedom of Syrian citizens. Nevertheless, the brutal reaction of the authorities and slow implementation of reforms did not stop the protests, which have since turned into an all open civil war. Over 190,000 people were killed so far in the fighting between the rebel groups and government forces. The unrest, the worst seen in decades, has the potential to topple President Assad authoritarian regime and further destabilize the entire region.

In late May 2014, citing a need for political reforms as the only way to bring stability back to the country, the military staged a bloodless coup. General Prayuth Chan-ocha who led the coup, was named as prime minister by the military-appointed parliament a few months later. He was reelected in the March 2019 under the 2017 constitution, drafted under the ruling military junta. Though the Future Forward, an upstart party, together with together with Pheu Thai (third incarnation of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra) won most of the popular vote. But the junta-appointed Senate gave Prayuth the majority of votes he needed in Parliament to stay on. Political tensions remain high as the elections did not satisfied the majority of the voters due to the Juta’s Constitution. Thailand is also been experiencing a Muslim rebellion at its southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala (and to a limited extent in Songkhla and Satun). Ever since the insurgency started in 2004 over 4000 people have been killed in the near-daily bombings, shootings and beheadings. In addition, Thailand has strained relations with Cambodia over the Preah Vihear temple. The potential for serious armed conflict between the two countries remain high.

Inspired by the popular revolt in Tunisia and Egypt, thousands of Yemeni opposition members and youth activists demanding a regime change, began demonstrating in late January 2011 in the capital Sana’a and other cities throughout Yemen. With the defections of leading military personal, senior officials and diplomats to the opposition, Saleh grew more isolated and lost his authority outside the capital. In late-November 2011, after returning from Saudi Arabia, where he was treated for injuries following an assassination attempt, Saleh singed a power transition deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Under the agreement, Saleh relinquished the presidential powers to his deputy, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, in return for immunity from prosecution. In early-August 2014 Hadi’s government announced a fuel hike to limit its budget deficit. Using the fuel hike as a reason to renew their demand for bigger share of power the Shiite Houthis seized Sana’a. After he fled from house arrest President Hadi moved to the southern port city of Aden. He retracted his resignation announcement and called on military assistance from the GCC countries. ONGOING: In late March 2015 the Houthis mobilized their forces--along with military units loyal to former President Saleh--towards Aden, forcing Hadi to leave the country, effectively completing their coup. In March 2015, a Saudi led coalition of nine Arab countries lunched an aerial bombardment campaign on Houthis’ movement fighters and forces loyal to former president Saleh. A month later the coalition launched a ground operation during which its forces recaptured the port city of Aden and made some territorial gains, but failed to advance and retake the capital Sana’a.