Gunmen in Pakistan on Monday set ablaze five trucks carrying NATO equipment out of Afghanistan as the international military alliance winds down it combat mission there, officials said. -Agence-France Presse, 3/1/13 There is nothing that better sums up the utter...
Breaking Out the Bush Playbook on Korea
In the current crisis on the Korean peninsula, the Obama administration is virtually repeating the 2004 Bush playbook, one that derailed a successful diplomatic agreement forged by the Clinton administration to prevent North Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons. While...
Four More Years: The Asia Pivot
In March 1990, Time magazine ran an article titled “Ripples in The American Lake.” It was not about small waves in that body of water just north of Fort Lewis, Washington. It was talking about the Pacific Ocean — the largest body of water on the planet, embracing over...
Turkey Haunted by Hubris
Two years ago, Turkey was on its way to being a player in Central Asia, a major power broker in the Middle East, and a driving force in international politics. It had made peace with its regional rivals, partnered with Brazil to take a serious stab at a peaceful...
Syria and the Dogs of War
Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of war; That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial Julius Caesar Act 3, scene 1 William Shakespeare “Blood and destruction,” “dreadful objects,” and “pity...
Iran Sanctions: War By Other Means
Now that the talks with Iran on its nuclear program appear to be on the ropes, are we on the road to war? The Israelis threaten it almost weekly, and the Obama administration has reportedly drawn up an attack plan. But in a sense, we are already at war with Iran. Carl...
Syria and the Phantom
What was that Turkish F-4 Phantom II up to when the Syrians shot it down? Ankara said the plane strayed into Syrian airspace but quickly left and was over international waters when it was attacked, a simple case of carelessness on the part of the Turkish pilot that...
Asia’s Mad Arms Race
Asia is currently in the middle of an unprecedented arms race that is not only sharpening tensions in the region but also competing with efforts by Asian countries to address poverty and growing economic disparity. The gap between rich and poor -- calculated by the...
The US and The Afghan Train Wreck
The recent decision by the Taliban and one of its allies to withdraw from peace talks with Washington underlines the train wreck the U.S. is headed for in Afghanistan. Indeed, for an administration touted as sophisticated and intelligent, virtually every decision the...
Iran, Israel, and the US: The Slide To War
Wars are fought because some people decide it is in their interests to fight them. World War I was not started over the Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination, nor was it triggered by the alliance system. An “incident” may set the stage for war, but no one keeps shooting...