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Israel's Olmert: From Promise to Prison

Ehud Olmert was once described as "probably the best" politician Israel ever produced, but the debonair ex-premier who was released from prison on Sunday has seen a humiliating fall from grace.

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A Syrian Conundrum: Can IS be Ousted without Assad's Help?

As the U.S.-led coalition tightens the noose around the Islamic State group in Syria, President Bashar Assad's Iranian-backed troops are also seizing back territory from the militants with little protest from Washington, a sign of how American options are limited without a powerful ally on the ground.

Washington is loath to cooperate with Assad's internationally ostracized government. But it will be difficult to uproot IS militants and keep them out with only the Kurdish and Arab militias backed by the U.S. — and a coalition spokesman pointed out that Assad's gains ease the burden on those forces.

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US Quietly Publishes Once-Expunged Papers on 1953 Iran Coup

Once expunged from its official history, documents outlining the U.S.-backed 1953 coup in Iran have been quietly published by the State Department, offering a new glimpse at an operation that ultimately pushed the country toward its Islamic Revolution and hostility with the West.

The CIA's role in the coup, which toppled Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddegh and cemented the control of the shah, was already well-known by the time the State Department offered its first compendium on the era in 1989. But any trace of American involvement in the putsch had been wiped from the report, causing historians to call it a fraud.

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Four Reasons Why Brazil's President Could Survive

Michel Temer is the first Brazilian president to face criminal charges while still in office. Yet here are four reasons why -- for now -- he may save his job.

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Saudi Shakeup, Qatar Crisis Show a Gulf on Edge

There was a time when the mention of the Persian Gulf brought to mind images of pampered societies ruled by aging monarchs content to preside quietly over their oil money and fantastical skyscrapers while the U.S. kept the peace.

Not anymore.

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Al-Saud: The Ruling Dynasty that Gave Its Name to Saudi Arabia

The Al-Saud dynasty gave its family name to the Gulf Arab monarchy of Saudi Arabia ruled by the sons of founder Abdul Aziz bin Saud.

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New Heir to Saudi Throne Holds Power Beyond His Years

Saudi Arabia's hard-charging Mohammed bin Salman, named crown prince on Wednesday, holds unusual power for a man of just 31, so much so that diplomats nickname him "Mr Everything".

The son of King Salman has risen to become Saudi Arabia's most influential and prominent figure since being named second-in-line to the throne in early 2015.

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America's Widening Role in Syria's Civil War

The unprecedented U.S. downing of a Syrian regime warplane highlights the rapidly shifting dynamic in the six-year conflict where President Donald Trump has given American commanders a freer rein in the battlefield.

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A Look at Syria's Conflict, as Mutual Enemies Close in on IS

The Islamic State group is in retreat across Syria and Iraq, and the contours of a new conflict among the array of parties battling it are already starting to appear.

The U.S. military shot down a Syrian government warplane on Sunday, saying it had targeted an American-allied Kurdish force that is battling the extremists in their de facto capital, Raqqa. That led Russia, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, to warn that it would target U.S.-led coalition planes flying west of the Euphrates River.

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Saudi-Qatar Crisis Puts Syria Rebels in Tricky Position

A diplomatic crisis pitting Saudi Arabia against Qatar has put Syrian rebels in a difficult position, analysts say, after rivalries between Gulf backers had already weakened the opposition.

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