Eli Clifton

US Business Groups Fault Rush to Sanctions on Iran 

The U.S. Congress is moving forward with a bill to sanction companies that do business in Iran despite the White House’s efforts to build international support for U.N. sanctions against the Islamic Republic. U.S. business organizations and a number of experts here in Washington have expressed concern about the speed with which the Senate Banking … Continue reading “US Business Groups Fault Rush to Sanctions on Iran “

US-Japan Airbase Spat May Have Regional Ripples

A protest of more than 90,000 Okinawans Sunday over the proposed relocation of a U.S. Marine Corps airbase in the southern Japanese prefecture has fueled speculation in Washington that the U.S.-Japanese alliance may be facing a serious test with the election of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), and that such strains might have serious … Continue reading “US-Japan Airbase Spat May Have Regional Ripples”

US Nonprofit Targeted Rights Group Over Goldstone

A campaign of attacks against the New Israel Fund (NIF), a U.S.-based progressive organization that supports human rights groups in Israel, has gained attention in both the Israeli and U.S. media, raising questions about the role played by foreign nonprofits and non-governmental organizations in influencing Israeli government policy. But an IPS investigation into publicly available … Continue reading “US Nonprofit Targeted Rights Group Over Goldstone”

Taiwan Arms Sale Heats Up Simmering Row

Trade relations between the U.S. and China appear to be hitting a rough patch, with China publicly threatening to impose sanctions on U.S. companies participating in the arms sales to Taiwan, leading some observers to express concern over the growing war of words between Washington and Beijing. While China’s opposition to the U.S. military’s support … Continue reading “Taiwan Arms Sale Heats Up Simmering Row”

Suicide Rate Surged Among Veterans

Suicides among United States military veterans ballooned by 26 percent from 2005 to 2007, according to new statistics released by the Veterans Affairs (VA) department. "Of the more than 30,000 suicides in this country each year, fully 20 percent of them are acts by veterans,” said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki at a VA-sponsored suicide prevention … Continue reading “Suicide Rate Surged Among Veterans”

One Step Closer to Unilateral Sanctions Against Iran

Congress has given new momentum to a bill imposing unilateral sanctions on Iran — a move seen by many as an ineffective form of sanctions and potentially antagonistic against valuable U.S. allies on the U.N. Security Council. This comes ahead of the end of the year deadline set by U.S. President Barack Obama for Tehran … Continue reading “One Step Closer to Unilateral Sanctions Against Iran”

Neocons Get Warm and Fuzzy Over ‘War President’

U.S. President Barack Obama’s plan for a 30,000-troop surge and a troop withdrawal timeline beginning in 18 months has caught criticism from both Democrat and Republican lawmakers. But a small group of hawkish foreign policy experts – who have lobbied the White House since August to escalate U.S. involvement in Afghanistan – are christening Obama … Continue reading “Neocons Get Warm and Fuzzy Over ‘War President’”

Obama’s Afghan Plan Has Something for Everyone… to Hate

President Barack Obama’s speech Tuesday night at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point laid out his administration’s plan to deploy an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan and start a phased withdrawal beginning in 18 months, but the plan has won the White House few supporters in either its own party or across the aisle. … Continue reading “Obama’s Afghan Plan Has Something for Everyone… to Hate”

Hawkish ‘Israel Lobby’ More Bark Than Bite?

The Nov. 25 announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a "moratorium" on settlement construction brought very different responses from the Jewish American "pro-Israel" groups J Street and the heavyweight American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), calling attention to the increasing divide within the American Jewish community. Both AIPAC and J Street welcomed Netanyahu’s … Continue reading “Hawkish ‘Israel Lobby’ More Bark Than Bite?”

Settlements ‘Moratorium’ Still Short of Freeze

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed an announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday that Israel will impose a 10-month "moratorium" on settlements, but warned that the move falls short of a freeze on settlement building — a condition that has been a mainstay … Continue reading “Settlements ‘Moratorium’ Still Short of Freeze”