Left: TEHRAN (FNA)- Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said Iran’s ballistic missiles can fly 400km above the ground to hit targets at 2,000km within 12 to 13 minutes. - Iran’s firin … [Read more...] about Iran Thumbs Its Nose at Obama
U.S. Foreign Policy
Washington’s China Problem*
The U.S.’ confrontation with an increasingly powerful and incipiently aggressive China is getting much more complicated. There is no question of its high priority among the U.S.’ foreign policy issues. But with a lame duck Obama Administration which … [Read more...] about Washington’s China Problem*
Syria Ceasefire Will Not Defeat ISIS
The United States and Russia brokered ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and few of the fighting groups is scheduled for February 27, 2016, 00:00 local time. While Washington described the agreement as yet another major diplomatic achi … [Read more...] about Syria Ceasefire Will Not Defeat ISIS
The Syrian Threat to Israel*
Left: Map of Syrian Civil war/ Global conflict in Syria - liveuamap, February 22, 2016 There are more than two dozen state and non-state actors battling over the prostrate body of what used to be Syria, one of the artificial entities carved out in … [Read more...] about The Syrian Threat to Israel*
Misnavigating America
As if seven years of Obama’s efforts to diminish the world’s superpower were not enough, recent events in the Middle East highlight the need for American leadership capable of righting the ship. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s statement that the U.S … [Read more...] about Misnavigating America
ISIS’s Libyan Expansion
Left: Locations of ISIS presence and control in Libya. It has territorial control over the square outlined in black. Outlined in red are large cities where ISIS is present but not in control, while Misrata and Ajdabiya are on its agenda (Google … [Read more...] about ISIS’s Libyan Expansion
Settlements, Schmettlements and Israeli Security*
Left: US Amb Shapiro follows White House lead in the delegitimization of Israel speech. (Watch the video.) - Pres. Barack Hussein Obama appears determined as part of his “legacy” to leave relations in ruins with the U.S.’ most important ally in the Mi … [Read more...] about Settlements, Schmettlements and Israeli Security*
Better Cooperation Needed With Taiwan*
Left: President-Elect Dr. Tsai Ing-wen and her team holding their first press conference. I have just returned from Taiwan where I served as an International Election Observer. The result of the election was a historic victory for the opposition … [Read more...] about Better Cooperation Needed With Taiwan*
Feeding Iran’s Terrorist Agenda
Left: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif waving [goodbye] to the Peace Dove. (cartoon by Keyvan Varessi, Iranian daily Iranian daily Ghanoon) - The lifting of the sanctions on Iran is significant not only because i … [Read more...] about Feeding Iran’s Terrorist Agenda
Key factor in sharply-improved Putin-Netanyahu strategic ties? The Obama White House
Left: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Sept. 21, 2015 / EPA Israeli-Russian strategic cooperation already good was markedly improving in early October 2015. The primary impediment t … [Read more...] about Key factor in sharply-improved Putin-Netanyahu strategic ties? The Obama White House