A Russian army pilot poses at a cockpit of SU-25M jet fighter at Hmeimim airbase in Syria on Oct 3 2015. (Alexander Kots, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Photo via AP) Russia is back in the Middle East in a wholesale fashion signing huge aircraft sales … [Read more...] about Russia’s Return to the Middle East*
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Canadian judge: Israeli military Gaza acitivity a righteous act of self-defense
Judge Gallagher asserted that it’s illogical to claim that Israeli government is targeting all Palestinians, when in truth Israel has been defending itself for years and “It is not a ‘political opinion’ to demand and work towards the destruction of … [Read more...] about Canadian judge: Israeli military Gaza acitivity a righteous act of self-defense
Weekly Review, Sept. 28 – Oct. 2, 2015
Iran’s “Chanting ‘Death to America’” Jobs - Rachel Ehrenfeld - In his remarks before the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama attempted to dismiss the function of “Death to America” calls by the Iranian leadership in keeping millions of … [Read more...] about Weekly Review, Sept. 28 – Oct. 2, 2015
Iran’s “Chanting ‘Death to America’” Jobs
Left: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei presiding over chants of "Death to America" - July 2015 (MEMRI TV) In his remarks before the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama attempted to dismiss the function of “Death to America” … [Read more...] about Iran’s “Chanting ‘Death to America’” Jobs
The Rise of Islamist Dominance in Turkey – Part I
The creeping diminution of Ataturk's secular Turkish state began in 1970, when Necmettin Erbakan (1926-2011), who had been elected to Parliament the previous year, formed Turkey’s first Islamic political party in the post-Ataturk era. A year later, … [Read more...] about The Rise of Islamist Dominance in Turkey – Part I
Homage to Catalonia*
Left: Catalan pro-independence supporters celebrate after polls close. AFP: Gerard Julien Two contradictory groundswell political movements are colliding on the European scene with unpredictable results: The emergence of a supranational government … [Read more...] about Homage to Catalonia*
Weekly Review, September 21-25, 2015
The U.S. Moral Decline - Rachel Ehrenfeld - What would Eleanor Roosevelt say about the election of Saudi Arabia’s Geneva ambassador Faisal Trad, as Chair of the United Nation Human Rights Council’s monitoring panel? She would wonder … [Read more...] about Weekly Review, September 21-25, 2015
The U.S. Moral Decline
What would Eleanor Roosevelt say about the election of Saudi Arabia’s Geneva ambassador Faisal Trad, as Chair of the United Nation Human Rights Council’s monitoring panel? She would wonder how Saudi Arabia, which refused to sign the Universal … [Read more...] about The U.S. Moral Decline
A Tale of Two Viennas*
Left: The EU's Federica Mogherini (L), Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif, Russia's Sergei Lavrov (R) in Vienna after the deal was signed. (Reuters/Leonhard Foeger) VIENNA 1815: The great powers of Europe; Russia, Prussia, Great Britain and Austria, meet … [Read more...] about A Tale of Two Viennas*
Xi’s Bluffing Hand*
Next week’s state visit of China’s No. 1 Xi Jinping looks to be all pomp and circumstance. There is little expectation that the long list of critical issues between Washington and Beijing will be addressed in any substantive way. And, in fact, the … [Read more...] about Xi’s Bluffing Hand*