Yearly Archives: 2019

US, Allies Split Over Fate of IS Foreign Fighters

The United States and other members of the coalition to defeat the Islamic State failed to reach consensus on what to do with captured foreign fighters, one of several issues threatening to reverse gains made against the terror group in Syria and Iraq.

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Lithuania, Russia, Norway Carry Out Three-Way Spy Swap

Two Lithuanian men convicted of spying in Russia “have been reunited with their families” after they were released as part of a spy swap, the chief of Lithuania’s counterintelligence, Darius Jauniskis, announced on November 15.

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Old Tricks and the Iraqi Genie

They claim since force cannot impose democracy, it was wrong for the US to invade Iraq and dislodge Saddam Hussein. They ignore the fact that though force cannot impose democracy, impediments to democracy can, and have been, removed by force.

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A Better Iran Deal Is Within Reach

When the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up its “maximum pressure” campaign last May, with the professed aim of driving Iran’s oil exports to zero, it didn’t take long for Tehran to respond with escalation of its own. In the months since, Iran has reportedly attacked pipelines, tankers, …

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Lebanon’s Protests Divide Hezbollah. Will It Strike Back?

He has fought Israel since the 1990s and killed many fighters in Syria’s civil war, but the increasing difficulty of working-class life in Lebanon and a popular revolt against the country’s leaders has forced Abu Hussein to reevaluate his decades-long service to Hezbollah.

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