Stoking Tehran’s Fears May Be the Only Way to Avoid War Last week, Iran and the United States briefly resumed indirect negotiations to resurrect the 2015 nuclear deal. Unlike the previous round of talks in Vienna, which broke down in March, this round was hosted by Qatar and did not …
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America’s New Realism in the Middle East
Biden’s Saudi Trip Reflects an Acceptance of the Region as It Is U.S. President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia has unleashed a gusher of chatter in the American foreign policy community. Some reactions, including from influential Democratic politicians, have been unreservedly negative. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said, “Until …
Read More »Ukraine Update: Former U.S. Special-ops Soldiers Train Ukrainian Soldiers, Says New York Times
A number of U.S. veterans are reportedly training Ukrainian soldiers near the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, said the New York Times in an article — In Ukraine, U.S. Veterans Step In Where the Military Will Not — on July 3, 2022, Sunday (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/03/us/politics/american-combat-volunteers-ukraine.html). “Americans are in Ukraine,” states the …
Read More »Selling Weapons, Selling War
Why does war persist? War was always madness, always immoral, always the cause of unspeakable suffering, economic waste and widespread destruction, and always a source of poverty, hate, barbarism and endless cycles of revenge and counter-revenge. It has always been a crime for soldiers to kill people, just as it …
Read More »Germany’s Super-Rich
Poverty and wealth remain two sides of the same coin – at times, minted in Germany. Germany’s super-rich own very obscene levels of treasures – mostly thanks to unsavory capitalism, dirty business dealings, white collar crime, and the Nazi past of many of Germany’s businesses. Furnished with all that, Germany’s …
Read More »Moscow’s War In Ukraine vs. Washington’s “Special Military Operation”
Russian President Vladimir Putin adopted the expression “special military operation” for his invasion of, and war in, Ukraine. Putin’s brutal and senseless war cannot be hidden behind such an obtuse expression. In response to Russia’s aggression, it is the United States that has mounted a “special military operation” against Russia, …
Read More »South Sudan backs military stance on civilian rule in Sudan
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has lauded the Sudanese military leadership’s decision to return the country to civilian rule. Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday called on political forces to agree on a civilian transitional government without them, further stressing the need to establish a national security …
Read More »French forces make Niger new home after being expelled by Mali
French forces in the Sahel will switch operating mode after they leave Mali, acting more “in support” of local forces rather than substituting for them, their commander says. After nearly a decade fighting militants in Mali, France is pulling its troops out of the country after falling out with its …
Read More »US warns of jihadists and Russian forces as Africa war games end
The United States’ top general for Africa has warned of “violent extremism” and the threat of Russian mercenaries in the Sahel region, speaking as war games wrapped up in Morocco. “We are seeing the rise of violent extremism in Western Africa, predominantly in the Sahel region,” said General Stephen J. …
Read More »Shell joins Qatar’s LNG expansion mega-project
QatarEnergy on Tuesday signed a deal with Shell (SHEL.L) for the Gulf state’s North Field East expansion, the first phase of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, following agreements with TotalEnergies , Exxon , ConocoPhillips (COP.N) and Eni (ENI.MI). Shell will take a 6.25% stake in the North …
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