Eli Clifton

Trump Looks Set To Start Blowing Up the Iran Deal

President Donald Trump is expected to “de-certify” the Iran nuclear deal, claiming it is not in the national interest of the United States. Decertification would begin a 60-day congressional review period during which the administration may propose legislation to “strengthen” the agreement and Congress may decide to re-impose sanctions, according to The Washington Post. If … Continue reading “Trump Looks Set To Start Blowing Up the Iran Deal”

J Street Urges Obama to Seize the Moment

J Street, the Washington-based “Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace” advocacy group, drew a large crowd to its annual conference this year despite criticism over its controversial calls for the Barack Obama administration not to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank. In the end, the administration vetoed the resolution, but the … Continue reading “J Street Urges Obama to Seize the Moment”

White House Questions Suspension of Military Aid to Lebanon

Several powerful members of Congress have worked to suspend U.S. military aid to Lebanon’s military after a deadly skirmish on the Lebanese-Israeli border last week which left two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and one Israeli officer dead. Howard Berman, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced Monday that he had suspended U.S. military … Continue reading “White House Questions Suspension of Military Aid to Lebanon”

Poll: Pakistanis Dislike US, Taliban, and al-Qaeda

The recent WikiLeaks dump of war-related documents has brought little new to the debate over Washington’s ongoing military involvement in Afghanistan, but allegations that Pakistan’s intelligence services are aiding the Taliban has brought renewed attention to U.S. concerns over its reliance on Islamabad in battling Taliban and al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan. New polling data released … Continue reading “Poll: Pakistanis Dislike US, Taliban, and al-Qaeda”

US and South Korea Impose New Sanctions on North

The United States and South Korea will impose new sanctions on North Korea in an effort to crackdown on the North’s participation in arms proliferation and increase pressure on Pyongyang after the sinking of a South Korean warship. The new sanctions – which were introduced Wednesday during U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s two-day visit … Continue reading “US and South Korea Impose New Sanctions on North”

CNN’s Objectivity Questioned in Sacking of Mideast Reporter

CNN’s firing of Octavia Nasr, the editor responsible for the network’s Middle East coverage, over a Twitter post in which she expressed her sadness over the death of a Lebanese cleric has set off a firestorm of debate about what the decision says about CNN’s fairness in reporting on the region. On Sunday, Nasr wrote, … Continue reading “CNN’s Objectivity Questioned in Sacking of Mideast Reporter”

White House Low-Key on China-Pakistan Nuke Deal

Last week’s meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in New Zealand brought statements of concern over China’s planned nuclear deal with Pakistan, but U.S. State Department officials avoided taking a strong position on the deal when pressed by reporters this week. China’s proposed sale of two nuclear reactors to Pakistan would, in theory, stand … Continue reading “White House Low-Key on China-Pakistan Nuke Deal”

Israeli Concessions on Gaza Fall Short of a New Policy

Israel’s announcement Thursday that it would ease the restrictions on goods entering Gaza has been received by NGOs and the international community as a move in the right direction, but as not going far enough in lifting the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip. Details of the plan have not been fully disclosed but Israeli … Continue reading “Israeli Concessions on Gaza Fall Short of a New Policy”

Pressure Mounts on N. Korea Over Warship Attack

Thursday’s formal accusation by South Korea that a North Korean torpedo sunk the warship Cheonan, killing 46 South Korean sailors, has set off a flurry of activity in Washington as politicians and foreign policy experts try to identify an appropriate U.S. response while balancing the need to maintain a stable relationship with China — the … Continue reading “Pressure Mounts on N. Korea Over Warship Attack”

Bill for Afghan War Could Run Into the Trillions

The U.S. Senate is moving forward with a $59 billion spending bill, of which $33.5 billion would be allocated for the war in Afghanistan. However, some experts in Washington are raising concerns that the war may be unwinnable and that the money being spent on military operations in Afghanistan could be better spent. “We’re making … Continue reading “Bill for Afghan War Could Run Into the Trillions”