Venezuela’s populist authoritarian President continues to battle a slumping economy, high inflation and faltering popular approval ratings. With the national oil company (PDVSA) the chief lifeline of his regime, Chavez will literally beg, borrow or steal to keep pumping oil. Chavez’s nationalization mania took off in earnest in 2007. Last year, …
Leon Panetta, the low-key Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, made an eye-opening disclosure on Sunday that received little attention, yet called into question the Obama Administration’s strategy for preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon. Speaking on ABC’s Sunday news show, “This Week”, Panetta revealed that Tehran could soon …
Congress put the finishing touches on a long-awaited Iran sanctions bill yesterday when House and Senate lawmakers agreed to a final version of the sanctions, which will penalize Iran for its nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and human rights abuses. This latest round of sanctions would disrupt Iran’s energy and banking operations …
Following the passage of the latest round of mild sanctions on Iran, the Obama administration is now seeking to weaken the sanctions passing through Congress. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Rep Howard Berman (D-CA) last Friday seeking to increase the administration’s “flexibility” by …
Just days following the passage of a new round of sanctions against Iran, the Associated Press obtained copies of Iran’s Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi’s book which stated that “the most advanced weapons must be produced inside our country even if our enemies don’t like it. There is no reason …
After securing a mild sanctions resolution at the U.N. Security Council against Iran earlier this week, the Obama Administration is now lobbying Congress to dilute pending Iran sanctions legislation. The administration wants the authority to waive penalties against companies that sell gasoline or other refined oil products to Iran if …
It seems that weak negotiating with Russia is becoming a habit for the Obama Administration. After signing a one-sided arms control deal with Russia on April 8th, the Administration is now touting a new United Nations Security Council Resolution that imposes a new round of sanctions on Iran in response …
The US Government looked on in shock this week when Turkey defied its traditional allies including the United States and Israel, and voted against UN sanctions for Iran. Ankara had already tried to stall a fourth round of sanctions by negotiating a flawed nuclear deal with the atomic ayatollahs. U.S. …
Last week the Obama Administration released its National Security Strategy for 2010. The document waxed fulsome in praise of Brazil as an “emerging center of influence.” It welcomed “Brazil’s leadership” which promises “to move beyond dated North-South divisions to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.” Brazil’s decision, along …
