“When I left Nantes in 1984, it was tranquility itself, even in the traditionally more working-class neighborhoods… Today Nantes has become Lebanonized. And its history is that of France…” — Ivan Rioufol, journalist, Le Figaro, April 7, 2018. One might even be forgiven for thinking that Qatar’s ultimate goal was …

The meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in the Chinese eastern city of Huangshan on March 30, is likely to go down in history as a decisive meeting in the relations between the two Asian giants. The meeting was not only important due …

Insanity has often been defined as trying the same thing over and over and getting the same result. Case in point, Ukraine was seeking NATO membership to bolster its security. This membership would have come at the expense of Russian security, as Russian president Vladimir Putin made clear. To thwart …

Early indications of a massacre in Moura, Mali have been denied by the Malian government, and it is thus far hindering any independent onsite investigation by international bodies. There are reports that Russian mercenaries, from the notorious Wagner Group, may have been involved in or had knowledge of the Moura …

Iran and the militias to which it provides backing and support have escalated attacks in an effort to influence the formation of a new national government in Iraq. Iraq’s Kurdish leaders are at odds over which faction will control Iraq’s presidency. Iraqi factions aligned with Iran have blocked efforts by …

A ceasefire and a restructuring of the Yemen government suggest that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) is looking for an off-ramp for the conflict. Houthi missile attacks on the Kingdom and the UAE, coupled with strains in U.S. relations with the two Gulf states, may have shifted MBS’ …

In the wake of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Western countries have expelled hundreds of Russian diplomats to hinder Russian intelligence efforts. Most countries use some diplomatic postings for intelligence purposes, though the scale of Russia’s efforts is massive, and there will be significant consequences to having its personnel evicted …

The far Right does not command a majority in France. But Macron’s arrogance and elitism, plus divisions on the Left, could hand it a victory. On the face of it, Sunday’s results look like a carbon copy of 2017. Emmanuel Macron, the incumbent president, came first with 28%, followed by …

The special operation in Ukraine was conceived by Putin and his entourage as a way to turn the political situation around. The Kremlin strategists weren’t the least bit interested in the fate of the people in Lugansk and Donetsk, or even in the future of Ukraine. At a historical impasse, …

In my view it is best to understand the Ukraine Crisis as a two-level war with regional and global implications. The surprising strength of Ukrainian resistance has dramatized the magnitude of Moscow’s miscalculation in having anticipating quickly subduing resisting to its aggression and intended occupation. Russia has already been defeated …