Although the Obama Administration has proclaimed its intention to “pivot” toward Asia, Secretary of State John Kerry has been forced to pivot back to the Middle East in advance of his forthcoming trip to Asia. Kerry was originally slated to travel to South Korea, Japan, and China following the April …
On Thursday, at the Friends of Syria Conference in Rome, Secretary of State John Kerry abruptly reversed U.S. policy on Syria. Much to the surprise of Members of the U.S. Congress—and possibly of the members of the Syrian opposition as well—Kerry announced that the U.S. will be supplying $60 million …
Just how diplomatic would former Senator Chuck Hagel (R–NE) be as Secretary of Defense? The fact that Iran backs Hagel’s nomination should give Senators pause. Hagel has called repeatedly for better relations with Iran, the worst state sponsor of terrorism in history. In several past speeches (some not provided to …
Yesterday, in western Algeria, near the Libyan border, militants under the command of Mokhtar Belmokhtar (a former al-Qaeda leader) attacked a gas field, taking hostages, including Americans. The attack was supposedly in response to France’s intervention in Mali. While details are still emerging, this debacle further highlights the freedom with …
At least five people, including two Turkish officials, were wounded on Monday when a cross-border shooting hit a refugee camp in Turkey’s Kilis province along the Syrian border. This incident has been described by the Turks as a “violation” of its border. It adds another level of complexity to the …
The latest round of European Union (EU) sanctions against Syria, agreed today in Brussels, proves why the EU’s “common denominator” approach to foreign policy will never work. Although the EU adopted strong measures against the Syrian central bank, these same measures could easily have been taken much faster outside the …
The Syrian government’s sickening attacks on its own people continues unabated. Syrian government troops are pushing into the city of Daraa, where resistance is currently concentrated, near the Jordanian border south of Damascus. This follows equally brutal sieges on the rebellious cities of Homs and Hama, which the Assad regime …
