Left: Issue No. 8, of ISIS English magazine DABIQ, April 2015 As ISIS establishing itself as an independent entity and continues its military campaign, the Obama administration declares success in eroding the Islamic State's power. According to … [Read more...] about ISIS Advance Update
U.S. Policy
Putin Throws a Spanner Into the Works*
Following the unsigned non-agreement on the contents of which no-one agrees in · Lausanne, declared "historic" by President Obama (which it surely is, in the sense that the 1938 Munich agreement and the 1994 North Korean agreement were historic), … [Read more...] about Putin Throws a Spanner Into the Works*
A Pakistan-Saudi-U.S. Triangle
Left: Rival Pakistani rallies have been held for and against the Saudi-led campaign on Yemen [Reuters] In the first few months of 2015, Pakistan has made news regarding its relationship with both the United States and Saudi Arabia. And as usual, one … [Read more...] about A Pakistan-Saudi-U.S. Triangle
The Cuban fiasco*
In that simplistic jargon characterizing Pres. Barack Hussein Obama’s worldwide “transformation” of U.S. foreign policy, the chief argument for his Cuban shift has been “[T]hese 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked.” In the facts of … [Read more...] about The Cuban fiasco*
Yemen War – Water and the Houthi Homeland
Aden: Despite Saudi led coalition airstrikes on the city of Aden, Huthi rebels backed by Iran and other Shia states are continuously advancing in the city cause shortage of water for locals. Multiple disasters are looming for Yemen. One that is … [Read more...] about Yemen War – Water and the Houthi Homeland
Iran’s Nuclear Framework: Insights and Recommendations*
President Barack Obama speaks the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 2, 2015, about the breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear talks. The president heralded a framework nuclear understanding with Iran as an "historic" … [Read more...] about Iran’s Nuclear Framework: Insights and Recommendations*
The “Historic” Agreement That Ignores History*
No-one agrees on what was agreed with Iran, but in any case the precedents are hardly encouraging. By this time hordes of commentators have chewed over Mr. Obama's "historic" agreement. Some aspects, however, have been overlooked or … [Read more...] about The “Historic” Agreement That Ignores History*
The Iran Deal Through an (Oil) Glass Darkly
The profit margins Big Oil requires are no longer to be made in Saudi Arabia but in Iran and Iraq. Once the US concludes a nuclear deal with Iran, Big Oil will see to it that it sticks, and Washington can turn its attention to the true cause of … [Read more...] about The Iran Deal Through an (Oil) Glass Darkly
Financial Chinoiserie
A most peculiar crisis is developing for the Chinese economy – and, indeed, for the regime -- while the world’s attention is riveted on the chaos and terror in the Mideast and Russian aggression in Ukraine. Not the smallest element is the clever … [Read more...] about Financial Chinoiserie
Weekly Briefing – March 22-27, 2015
Credit: Office of the Supreme Leader Iran: Why? - Sol Sanders - Why is one of the world’s poorest countries [40% living in poverty, halfway down on list of countries in per capita GDP] building capital-intensive nuclear power facilities? Iran has … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – March 22-27, 2015