The Dueling Ayatollahs – Khamenei, Sistani, and the Fight for the Soul of Shiite Islam

The Dueling Ayatollahs – Khamenei, Sistani, and the Fight for the Soul of Shiite Islam

The protests that rocked Iran earlier this year barely affected how most countries engage with the world’s only Shiite theocracy. But in neighboring Iraq, they have forced a much deeper debate that goes to the heart of the country’s political future — and that of the whole region. With protesters’ demands ranging from lower egg prices…

What Happens When an Unthinkable War Meets an Unbeatable Case of War Fever?

What Happens When an Unthinkable War Meets an Unbeatable Case of War Fever?

What happens when an unthinkable war meets an unbeatable case of war fever? Thanks to Russia-gate, unsubstantiated reports about the use of poison gas in Syria, and a slew of similar factoids and pseudo-scandals, the world may soon find out. In saner times, including during the Cold War at even its most heated, political leaders…

The Kim-Moon DMZ Summit: Sophisticated North Korean Diplomacy Rewards Kim Jong-un

The Kim-Moon DMZ Summit: Sophisticated North Korean Diplomacy Rewards Kim Jong-un

Preparations for the meeting between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump are for the moment continuing without a hitch. The next step is the historic meeting between Moon Jae-in of South Korea and his North Korean counterpart. On the table are several possibilities. Pyongyang’s strategy seems to be much more refined than it may seem. The news surrounding the negotiations on the North Korean…

What’s Driving Trade Tensions Between the U.S. and China

What’s Driving Trade Tensions Between the U.S. and China

There is a lot of concern over the possibility of a trade war between China and the USA. In early April, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his administration was considering levying $100-billion of additional tariffs on Chinese exports, after the Chinese government responded to a previously proposed U.S. tariff hike on Chinese goods of…

Macron: The Last Multilateralist

Macron: The Last Multilateralist

“Together,” President Macron instructed President Trump, “we can resist the rise of aggressive nationalisms that deny our history and divide the world.” Before Congress he denounced “extreme nationalism,” invoked the U.N., NATO, WTO, and Paris climate accord, and implored Trump’s America to come home to the New World Order. “The United States is the one…