February 2018 – Astute News

February 28, 2018

East Ghouta: the Last Great Battle of the Syrian War?

Reading media reports of the fighting in east Ghouta over the last few days has triggered an eery sense of déjà vu. It is like taking a time machine back to the autumn of 2016 and listening to all the arguments over the fighting in Aleppo all over again. Just as in 2016 the reports concern fighting between the Syrian...

Opinion Comment: 1

February 28, 2018

Trapped in Eastern Ghouta: How Both Sides Stop People from Escaping

Syrian rebels and government forces are both preventing civilians fleeing the bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, according to a teacher who has been trying to get his family out. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Ghafour, 43, a teacher of Arabic, spoke of their abortive attempt to escape. “I live in Douma [in the north of Eastern Ghouta] and have...

Opinion Comments: 0

February 28, 2018

Admiral Harry Harris to Become US Ambassador to Australia

One of the signs of the worsening situation in the Indian and Pacific ocean region, where the focus of world politics is shifting, is the strengthening of the military’s voice in the cacophony of the sounds that are coming from the Indo-Pacific Region. Moreover, the trend towards the adoption of foreign policy functions by military organs is characteristic not only...

Opinion Comments: 0

February 28, 2018

The Changing Role and Position of Turkish Armed Forces in Turkish Foreign Policy

The Turkish Armed Forces have been discussed substantially during the last few years in the context of Turkish Foreign Policy due to new developments in the military; such as building a military base in Qatar and Somalia, technological transformation, the S400 strategic defence system deal with Russia, and operations in Iraq and particularly in Syria. Historically, the Turkish Armed Forces...

Opinion Comments: 4

February 28, 2018

Bull in a China Shop: US Announces More Unilateral Sanctions on North Korea

On Feb.23, the US Treasury Department announced the introduction of sanctions on 56 shipping vessels and entities accused of illicit trading with North Korea. The pressure intensification pursues the goal of compelling Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. Today, almost all ships used for trade with that country are under the restrictive measures, including ship-to-ship transfers. It’s timing that is important....

Opinion Comments: 0

February 28, 2018

Dr. Strangelove in the Pentagon

If you’re having trouble sleeping thanks to, well, you know who… you’re not alone. But don’t despair. A breakthrough remedy has just gone on the market. It has no chemically induced side effects and, best of all, will cost you nothing, thanks to the Department of Defense. It’s the new Nuclear Posture Review, or NPR, among the most soporific documents...

Opinion Comments: 0

February 28, 2018

Blundering Into Iran

The deluge of recent reporting regarding possible conflict with nuclear armed North Korea has somewhat obscured consideration of the much higher probability that Israel or even Saudi Arabia will take steps that will lead to a war with Iran that will inevitably draw the United States in. Israel is particularly inclined to move aggressively, with potentially serious consequences for the...

Opinion Comments: 0

February 28, 2018

The Privatization of U.S. Foreign Policy

The unethical blurring of private interests and public business is a hallmark of Donald Trump’s presidency. That blurring has increasingly involved U.S. foreign policy. The possible effects on U.S. foreign relations may be subtle and largely out of public view, but they arise every time, for example, foreign governments wanting something from the United States bring their business to the...

Opinion Comments: 0

Monthly Archive: February, 2018

East Ghouta: the Last Great Battle of the Syrian War?

Trapped in Eastern Ghouta: How Both Sides Stop People from Escaping

Admiral Harry Harris to Become US Ambassador to Australia

The Changing Role and Position of Turkish Armed Forces in Turkish Foreign Policy

Bull in a China Shop: US Announces More Unilateral Sanctions on North Korea

Dr. Strangelove in the Pentagon

Blundering Into Iran

The Privatization of U.S. Foreign Policy