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Daily Archive: March 29, 2017

March 29, 2017

Ending Syria’s Nightmare will Take Pressure from Below

Ominous developments in East Syria have drawn the United States and Russia into closer proximity increasing the likelihood of a violent confrontation.  The Trump administration has embarked on a dangerous plan to defeat the terrorist militia, ISIS, in Raqqa. But recent comments by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggest that Washington’s long-term strategy may conflict with Moscow’s goal of restoring Syria’s sovereign borders.  Something’s...
Categories Opinion Comments: 0
March 29, 2017

Oil Interest Heats Up Maritime Dispute Between Israel and Lebanon

A long-running dispute between Israel and Lebanon over a maritime border in the Mediterranean Sea has reached boiling point as both sides want to secure multibillion-dollar energy investments from the oil and gas rich area. Lebanese politicians have reacted with anger over a bill in the Israeli parliament that would seek to establish the country’s sovereignty over the territory. Israeli...
Categories Middle East Comments: 0
March 29, 2017

An American Century of Carnage: Measuring Violence in a Single Superpower World

[This essay is adapted from “Measuring Violence,” the first chapter of John Dower’s new book, The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War Two.] On February 17, 1941, almost 10 months before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Life magazine carried a lengthy essay by its publisher, Henry Luce, entitled “The American Century.” The son of Presbyterian missionaries, born...
Categories Books Comments: 0
March 29, 2017

Russia, China Lay Groundwork for BRICS Transactions in Gold

Trading in local currencies has already started — and lays the groundwork for facilitating BRICS transactions in gold Recent progress made in streamlining trade in local currencies has brought Moscow and Beijing closer to creating a financial architecture that could facilitate transactions in gold. As we reported last week, Moscow and Beijing took another step towards de-dollarization with the opening of a yuan clearing bank...
Categories Money Comments: 0