Global Hotspots

Trump Has Just Raised the Stakes With Moscow and Tehran in Three Risky Moves

By Patrick Smith

President Trump made three big moves on Syria and Iran this week. They crisscross and contradict one another, but the administration’s game plan in the Middle East just got a lot clearer.
Here’s the Enormous Economic Leverage China Has Over North Korea

By Greg Wright, The Conversation

North Korea got the world’s attention – and President Donald Trump’s – when it said on July 4 that it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time. The weapon,...
Trump’s Fly-by-Night Mideast ‘Policy’ Embraces the Saudi’s New Crown Prince

By Patrick Smith

It’s not likely that President Trump knew what he was getting into when he embraced the Saudis as the rightful leaders of the Islamic world and the war on terror during his visit to Riyadh last month...
Russia’s Top Troll Strikes Again: Putin Offers Comey Political Asylum

By Rob Garver

While much of the world looks at the turmoil in Washington, DC with apprehension and dread, at least somebody watching the expanding investigation of President Trump and his associates is enjoying...
Here’s How the US Could Cripple North Korea’s Economy

By Rob Garver

Punishing North Korea economically for its misdeeds may be simpler than many believe, according to a new report from a Washington non-profit.

Time for Trump to Face It: From Now on, Every Week Is ‘Russia Week’

By Rob Garver

The Trump administration’s efforts to keep Russian interference in last year’s election out of the headlines are being overwhelmed by events, as another week ostensibly dedicated to a different issue...
Putin’s Just Trolling the World Now on Trump and the US Election

By Rob Garver

Russian President Vladimir Putin conceded for the first time that perhaps computer hackers from his country actually had worked to undermine Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Here’s One Credible Reason to Doubt the Russia-Kushner Story

By Rob Garver

Following the Washington Post report on Friday that top White House adviser Jared Kushner had approached the Russian ambassador to the US about opening a secret line of communications between Moscow...
How Trump Really Could Make a Difference in the Middle East

By Liz Peek

Two presidents, two trips to the Middle East in their first year in office. That is where the similarities end. I was in Cairo for President Obama’s much-celebrated speech in 2009 as a guest of...
Trump the Diplomat? Will He Charm or Harm US Relations?

By Patrick Smith

Whoever put together President Trump’s first foreign tour has a good grasp of the grand gesture. When he departs Friday, his main stops are Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Vatican, making Trump the...

GOP Senators Send Their Own Warning to Iran on Nukes

By Rob Garver

A group of 47 Republican senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the rest of the leadership team, released an open letter to Iran’s leaders on Monday, essentially warning that any...
Spooked by Putin, EU Brass Considers a European Army

By Rob Garver

The top official on the European Commission on Sunday called for the creation of a pan-European army, in large part to counter the aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A Nuclear Deal with Iran Starts to Look Likely

By Patrick Smith

Will we or won’t we have an international deal defining Iran’s nuclear program by the negotiators’ self-imposed deadline? There are two weeks left. This is now the kind of cliffhanger the London...
As Iran Talks Reach Key Phase, Obama Would Walk Away

By Rob Garver

President Obama said the U.S. loses nothing by continuing to negotiate with Iran and can always walk away from a bad deal with no harm done, while many Republicans vehemently disagree. Meanwhile,...
Why America’s War with ISIS Will Take Years

By Riyadh Mohammed

For the past seven months, The United States has led an international alliance against ISIS and launched thousands of air strikes against ISIS positions in Iraq and Syria. While ISIS momentum has...

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