Recent Posts

Blundering on the Brink

The Secret History and Unlearned Lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis There aren’t enough palm trees, the Soviet general thought to himself. It was July 1962, and Igor Statsenko, the 43-year-old Ukrainian-born commander of the Red Army’s missile division, found himself inside a helicopter, flying over central and western Cuba. …

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Iran: Replacing Khomeini with Clinton

In an editorial last Monday, Kayhan, believed to reflect the views of the “Supreme Guide”, claimed that now that the Islamic Republic has defeated the American “Great Satan” in the Middle East, it must deal with hyperinflation as “the greatest threat to our revolution.” The new tune may be partly …

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Turkey: Election Could Be Headed For Runoff

Turkey appeared headed for a runoff election after neither President Recep Tayyip Erdogan nor rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu received a majority of the vote on Sunday. However, Erdogan, 69, who has been in power for 20 years and is the country’s longest-serving leader, performed better than had been expected. With more …

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