Day: May 18, 2018

Making Sense of Russian Political Ambiguities

May 18, 2018

Introduction: the world is not Hollywood The past couple of weeks saw a number of truly tectonic events taking place simultaneously in the US, in Russia, in Israel, in Syria, in Iran and in the EU. I …

Iran Signs Free Trade Agreement With Eurasian Economic Union in Move That is Healthy for Iran, Russia and Pakistan

May 18, 2018

Opinion

Iran has just signed an agreement to enter a three year provisional free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). According to EAEU official Tigran Sargsyan, “The temporary agreement s…

President Putin Is Syria’s Savior, But Don’t Go “Worshipping” Him!

May 18, 2018

Opinion

President Putin’s decision to military involve his country in the anti-terrorist struggle in Syria saved the Arab Republic from its assured destruction irrespective of the criticisms that can be level…

Reasons Trump Breaks Nuclear-Sanction Agreement with Iran, Declares Trade War with China, and Meets with North Korea

May 18, 2018

Opinion

Introduction For some time, critics of President Trump’s policies have attributed them to a mental disorder; uncontrolled manic-depression, narcissus bullying and other pathologies. The question of Tr…

Bluffer or Crusader: Is Trump’s Trade War with China for Real?

May 18, 2018

Opinion

Seeking a trade war and needing Beijing’s help with North Korea, Trump meanwhile has the US Navy challenging China in Taiwan and the South China Sea, leaving observers and his own staff wondering what…

Will Trump’s Pyrrhic Victory End with America’s Role As Global Bully?

May 18, 2018

Opinion

I am in Iran speaking at a conference on the future of the Middle East. The timing for the meeting is particularly appropriate due to the recent American withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan o…

The U.S. Military Takes Us Through the Gates of Hell

May 18, 2018

Opinion

As I was putting the finishing touches on my new book, the Costs of War Project at Brown University’s Watson Institute published an estimate of the taxpayer dollars that will have gone into America’s …

Venezuela’s Buying Oil for Its Friends, But It’s Not for Why You Think

May 18, 2018

Opinion

Reuters published an exclusive report claiming that Venezuela is purchasing foreign oil for its regional friends, but contrary to what the outlet implies is a desperate bid by a failing state to hold …