Independence is once again attainable for South Yemen so long as prospective peace talks result in a coalition-enforced “buffer zone” with North Yemen and a “federal” transitional period that precedes an internationally recognized (re-)independence vote, and the restored country could avoid becoming a UAE satellite if it grants a third-party such as Pakistan a naval…
Two weeks ago I wondered if heightened Pentagon rhetoric about “unsafe Russian flying practices” in Syria was to prepare the media for a possible shoot down of a Russian plane by the US. Now the US has moved on to openly threatening to do so. Recall, on November 24th CNN ran an article whereby according…
Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, all-but-abandoning America’s commitment to a two-state solution, has its roots with the religious politics of Jared Kushner, Trump’s Middle East adviser and son-in-law. Kushner, a favorite of both Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and pro-Netanyahu American…
Iran has, predictably enough, taken a hard line on the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. There were public demonstrations in several Iranian cities following Friday prayers and statements by President Hassan Rouhani and other senior politicians. Notably, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, warned:…
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to withdraw his county’s forces from Syria makes sense militarily, politically, and strategically. The war has been won. Job done. Now it’s time to win the peace. Making a clear-cut end to military operations in Syria in this way only emphasizes what everyone knows, or should know. The Syrian state…
In the aftermath of Trump’s disastrous recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the spin from Washington and Riyadh–and the journalists and think tank analysts only too eager be spun–has been outrageous. The level of sheer delusion is stupendous. This post will offer an anatomy of delusion and why it means only more suffering and bloodshed…
