Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani Assures Pakistan…While in India

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani Assures Pakistan…While in India

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has addressed an audience of Islamic scholars in the Indian city of Hyderabad, during a wide ranging speech touching on pan-eastern resistance to western neo-imperialism, inter-sectarian unity among the wider Muslim Ummah (community) and the importance of Islam as a force of compassion and social moderation in modern society. Rouhani is…

China’s ‘New Silk Roads’ Reach Latin America

China’s ‘New Silk Roads’ Reach Latin America

A sharp, geoeconomic shift took place last month in Santiago, Chile at the second ministerial meeting of a forum grouping China and the 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. The Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, told his audience that the world’s second-largest economy and Latin America should join efforts to support free trade. This was…

ISIS Is Almost Gone But the Fighting Continues: Who’s Still in Syria?

ISIS Is Almost Gone But the Fighting Continues: Who’s Still in Syria?

The battle against Islamic State in Syria may be nearing its end, but the conflict in this war-torn country seems far from over. Competing factions and old rivalries have created a complicated, uncertain future for Syria. With so many different warring parties wrestling for control of Syria’s fate, it seems prudent to review the conflict’s…

When Former Spies Turn into TV ‘Experts’

When Former Spies Turn into TV ‘Experts’

Once upon a time in the United States there was a general perception that organizations like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were both apolitical and high-minded, existing only to calmly and professionally promote the safety and security of the nation. Directors of both organizations often retired quietly without…