During his presidential bid, Donald Trump hammered on about the threat posed to America by the self-styled Islamic State, and how he would defeat it. As an issue, it was perfect for him, since the Islamic State’s sociopathic brutality fueled fear and anger among his core supporters—emotions that candidate Trump …
Read More »Is the U.S. Arming an Adversary, China, Intent on Overpowering Us?
China’s greatest financial weakness remains its continued dependence on Western capital markets, crucial for a growing economy…. To grow, China depends on massive inflows of capital that surge through the capital markets based in the U.S. The Trump administration made several moves during its term to delist Chinese companies that …
Read More »Libya: Amid Hope for Peace, Regional Rifts Still Pose Hurdles
2021 is meant to be Libya’s transitional year. The new interim government faces huge tasks. Libyans and the United Nations advanced their current effort to end almost a decade of instability and war this month when a U.N.-backed forum nominated an interim government to prepare nationwide elections by the end …
Read More »Breaking the Stalemate: Biden Can Use the U.S.-Taliban Deal to Bring Peace
U.S. troop withdrawal looms over negotiations a year after the historic agreement. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-Taliban agreement, Afghanistan remains unfortunately far away from peace. The historic agreement paved the way for a full U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the start of intra-Afghan …
Read More »A little acknowledged clause may be main obstacle to revival of Iran nuclear accord
A little acknowledged provision of the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program explains jockeying by the United States and the Islamic republic over the modalities of a US return to the deal from which President Donald J. Trump withdrew. The provision’s magic date is 2023, when the Biden …
Read More »U.S. bombs Syria at Biden’s order, hits ‘Iranian-backed militia facilities’
The U.S. launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a Feb. 15 rocket attack in northern Iraq that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a U.S. service member and other coalition troops.
Read More »Russia Will Not Back Down On Navalny Regardless Of European Pressure
The European Union has decided to impose Magnitsky type sanctions prejudicing the assets and travel rights of Russian police and legal officials responsible for the imprisonment of anti-corruption fighter Alexei Navalny. [1]Russian officials outwardly responded with indignation at the EU imposed sanctions on Russia, but a conservative and liberal columnist …
Read More »U.S. Intelligence: Saudi Crown Prince Approved Operation To Kill Jamal Khashoggi
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince approved the operation that led to the brutal 2018 death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the U.S. intelligence community said in a report released Friday. President Biden has been critical of Saudi Arabia and the report is expected to further harm the increasingly fraught relations between the …
Read More »The Syrian Civil War’s Never-Ending Endgame
The Syrian civil war that has decimated the country for 10 years now, provoking a regional humanitarian crisis and drawing in actors ranging from the United States to Russia, appears to be drawing inexorably to a conclusion. President Bashar al-Assad, with the backing of Iran and Russia, seems to have …
Read More »Biden Calls King Salman as US Recalibrates Relations With Saudis
U.S. President Joe Biden called Saudi Arabian King Salman on Thursday as his administration is set to release a congressionally mandated declassified version of an intelligence report that is expected to find the king’s son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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