Last week, Army General Raymond “Tony” Thomas, head of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), expressed his dismay about the Trump administration. “Our government continues to be in unbelievable turmoil,” Thomas opined. “I hope they sort it out soon because we’re a nation at war.” What does that mean, we’re a nation at war? Many will …
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Security forces met with light resistance so far in Mosul.
Baghdad announced that the military has begun to move on western Mosul.
Although Donald Trump had good inclinations on some foreign policy issues during his campaign and transition period – for example, staying out of unneeded brushfire wars, reexamining U.S. alliances, and pushing wealthy allies to do more for their own security – his policy toward “radical Islamic terrorism” always needed some work. Now, having been president …
Continue reading “Trump Needs To Rethink Terror Policies”
So how the hell did it all start? Last week I tried to describe the 1948 war, starting from the shooting at a Jewish bus on the morrow of the UN partition resolution. Some readers dispute the timing. They insist that the war started on May 15, on the morrow of the founding of the …
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Followers of Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr were able to hole a peaceful rally a week after a protest turned bloody.
After a multi-month, politically charged investigation, German intelligence agencies could find no good evidence of Moscow-directed cyber-attacks or a disinformation campaign aimed at subverting the democratic process in Germany. Undaunted, Chancellor Angela Merkel has commissioned a new investigation. Last year, Berlin’s two main intelligence agencies, the BND and BfV (counterparts of the CIA and FBI) …
Continue reading “German Intel Clears Russia on Interference”
The foreign policy issue in American politics has undergone some remarkable shifts over the years. We are in the midst of just such a shift, but before we can properly understand what is happening today we must consult Clio, the muse of history, and see what patterns we can discern. As witnesses to the birth …
Continue reading “Between a Rock and a Hard Place”
Militants attacked several locations in Baghdad including a car dealership.
Maybe Donald Trump is a different kind of politician. Maybe he will keep his promises. Unfortunately, since January 20, Trump has pursued a nasty collection of priorities. Any hope that the political newbie would be dazed and timid in his first 100 days went out the window after his clunky, legally-dubious executive order stopping immigration …
Continue reading “The Wretched Beginning of Donald Trump’s Presidency” 
