Day: January 24, 2018

Destroying Syria: Why Does Washington Hate Bashar al-Assad?

January 24, 2018

The Donald Trump administration is planning to install a 30,000 strong armed “security force” in northern Syria along the borders with Turkey and Iraq. This presumably will tie together and support th…

Syrian Kurdish Forces Launch Powerful Counterattack Against Turkey

January 24, 2018

Opinion

Turkey is hoping for a quick victory in Afrin, but its soldiers and allied Syrian militiamen are facing counter-attacks by Kurdish forces on villages close to the border. The Kurds are reported to be …

Will American Missiles Destroy the Russian-Japanese Rapprochement?

January 24, 2018

Opinion

The US-Japanese missile deal is threatening to ruin the Russian-Japanese rapprochement. The island nation will be purchasing four SM-3 Block IIA anti-missile systems from the US for over $130 million …

How US Went From Supporting Syrian Kurds, to Backing Turkey Against Them – In Just 9 Days

January 24, 2018

Opinion

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been left flailing as Washington desperately struggles to avoid being shut out of Syria by its own allies – following a crisis it helped provoke just days ago. …

Mike Pence’s Middle East Tour: Speaking to Israel’s Hard Right Only

January 24, 2018

Opinion

US Vice President Mike Pence will soon complete his four-day trip to the Middle East after visiting Egypt, Jordan and Israel. Pence, a devout evangelical Christian, was refused a meeting with Palestin…

US Needs to Kick Cold War Habit and End Its Addiction to Militarism

January 24, 2018

Opinion

The National Defense Strategy unveiled by Pentagon chief James Mattis illustrates once again the revanchist Cold War mindset dominating Washington which is the inevitable expression of the US’ destruc…

Why Is the Israeli Army Suddenly Concerned About Gaza?

January 24, 2018

Opinion

More than 10 years ago Israel tightened its grip on Gaza, enforcing a blockade on goods coming in and out of the tiny coastal enclave that left much of the two million-strong population there unemploy…

‘Billionaire Boom’: While World’s Richest 1% Took 82% of All New Wealth in 2017, Bottom Half Got Zero, Zilch, Nada

January 24, 2018

Opinion

A new billionaire was created every two days last year and now, according to Oxfam, just 42 individuals own as much wealth as the world's poorest 3.7 billion people. Call it the ‘Year of the Billionai…