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…

Israel a Leading Tax Haven

Israel a Leading Tax Haven

Countless trillions of dollars are stashed in scores of tax havens worldwide – black holes of hidden wealth, much of it ill-gotten. Largely tax-free, they’re controlled by Wall Street and other powerful financial interests, part of a global tax injustice system, governments complicit with super-wealthy individuals and financial institutions managing their money. Taking advantage are…

Poland’s on My Mind

Poland’s on My Mind

A controversy surrounds the new Polish law just signed by Polish President Andrzej Duda that criminalizes Holocaust denial and Holocaust trivialization but also extends the prohibition to anyone who ascribes Nazi atrocities to the “Polish government or Polish nation.” Although I’m passionately opposed to all such efforts to muzzle open discussion (and have paid a…

Will Petrodollar Give Way to Petroyuan? China Makes First Move this March

Will Petrodollar Give Way to Petroyuan? China Makes First Move this March

Wall Street is bracing for a potential shake-up as China is set to launch its first-ever crude oil futures contract late March at the Shanghai Futures Exchange. The move, which had been laid out in 2012 but faced delays over possible market turbulence, could represent a bold step forward in China’s rise as an economic…

New Delhi’s US-Backed “Chinese Containment” Strategy in the Afro-Indian Ocean

New Delhi’s US-Backed “Chinese Containment” Strategy in the Afro-Indian Ocean

India’s American-backed anti-Chinese “containment” strategy seeks to have New Delhi establish control over crucial nodes along the Sea Lines Of Communication (SLOC) in the Afro-Indian Ocean, but the country’s plans are being thwarted by China’s ingenuity in crafting asymmetrical workarounds to these future chokepoints. Background Dynamics Make no mistake about it, there’s a New Cold…