Syria War, Sochi Peace

Syria War, Sochi Peace

The main take away of the trilateral, two hour-long Russia-Iran-Turkey summit in Sochi on the future of Syria was expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin: “The presidents of Iran and Turkey supported the initiative to convene an All-Syrian Congress for national dialogue in Syria. We agreed to hold this important event at the proper level…

And Then the Clown Prince Told Friedman: “Suck On This.”

And Then the Clown Prince Told Friedman: “Suck On This.”

The Moustache of Understanding, Thomas Friedman, has written the probably most embarrassing fanfiction ever: The most significant reform process underway anywhere in the Middle East today is in Saudi Arabia. Yes, you read that right. Though I came here at the start of Saudi winter, I found the country going through its own Arab Spring,…

Demise of the Petrodollar has the Potential to Reshape the Geopolitical World

Demise of the Petrodollar has the Potential to Reshape the Geopolitical World

In the early 1970s President Richard Nixon instigated two changes that had profound effects. The first of these was taking United States off the gold standard; i.e. henceforth US dollars would no longer be convertible to Gold. Ordinarily this might have been expected to have significant ramifications for the value of the US dollar. Deleterious…

Lebanon in the Crosshairs

Lebanon in the Crosshairs

If the United States climbs into bed with the Israelis and Saudis and commits to take down Iran it will wind up having to do the hard fighting in a war that could be unwinnable in any conventional sense. There has been much discussion surrounding the travel of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri to Saudi…

The Irresistible Rise of MbS… and His Possible Downfall

The Irresistible Rise of MbS… and His Possible Downfall

In a two-part analysis of the recent and ongoing revolutionary developments in Saudi Arabia instigated and executed by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), Asia Times editor Uwe Parpart and roving correspondent Pepe Escobar recount the details and background of the recent MBS power grab and attempt to ascertain whether it will last. In a matter…

Putin/Assad Meeting Cements the End of U.S. Dominance in the Middle East

Putin/Assad Meeting Cements the End of U.S. Dominance in the Middle East

I’m not a terribly religious man.  But, I’d like to believe there is a special corner in Hell reserved for those that fomented the Syrian Civil War. From its beginnings in Libya with gun-funneling through the U.S. embassy in Benghazi to yesterday’s meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, this entire…