Jim Lobe

Jim Lobe writes for Inter Press Service.

For the US in Afghanistan, the News Is Bad

While U.S. officials insist they are making progress in reversing the momentum built up by the Taliban insurgency over the last several years, the latest news from Afghanistan suggests the opposite may be closer to the truth. Even senior military officials are conceding privately that their much-touted new counterinsurgency strategy of "clear, hold and build" … Continue reading “For the US in Afghanistan, the News Is Bad”

Neoconservatives Lead Charge Against Turkey

As the right-wing leadership of the organized U.S. Jewish community defends Israel against international condemnation for its deadly seizure of a flotilla bearing humanitarian supplies for Gaza, a familiar clutch of neoconservative hawks is going on the offensive against what they see as the flotilla’s chief defender, Turkey. Outraged by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip’s Erdogan’s … Continue reading “Neoconservatives Lead Charge Against Turkey”

Iran Sanctions’ Effectiveness Widely Questioned

While top U.S. officials touted the U.N. Security Council’s approval Wednesday of a new sanctions resolution against Iran as a major diplomatic breakthrough, most nuclear and Iran specialists say it is unlikely to be effective and could prove counterproductive. Even if, as expected, they are followed up by additional unilateral sanctions on the part of … Continue reading “Iran Sanctions’ Effectiveness Widely Questioned”

Doubts Grow Over Israel’s Value as US Ally

Israel’s disastrous raid in international waters Monday on a Turkish-flagged flotilla carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza has resurrected a long-running debate over whether Washington’s close alliance with the Jewish state really serves U.S. strategic interests. Ironically, one negative answer was provided in Jerusalem Tuesday by none other than the head of Israel’s vaunted foreign-intelligence agency, … Continue reading “Doubts Grow Over Israel’s Value as US Ally”

Israel’s Defenders Mobilize, Threaten

Faced with what the Wall Street Journal calls "one of Israel’s worst international relations disasters in years," the right-wing leadership of the so-called "Israel Lobby" has been pulling out all the stops to defend the Jewish state against global outrage over its deadly seizure of a Gaza-bound vessel in international waters carrying humanitarian supplies early … Continue reading “Israel’s Defenders Mobilize, Threaten”

Congress Slows Unilateral Sanctions Drive Against Iran

President Barack Obama’s efforts to gain greater flexibility in dealing with Iran received a small but potentially important boost Tuesday when a key congressional committee announced that the deadline for a unilateral U.S. sanctions package will be put off until next month. The Democratic co-chairs of the “conference committee” charged with reconciling competing versions of … Continue reading “Congress Slows Unilateral Sanctions Drive Against Iran”

Momentum Builds to Ratify Land-Mine Treaty

More than two-thirds of U.S. senators have signed a letter calling on President Barack Obama to develop a plan to join a 17-year-old international treaty banning the production, transfer, and use of anti-personnel land mines.The letter, which was sent to the White House Tuesday by its two main sponsors, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy and Republican … Continue reading “Momentum Builds to Ratify Land-Mine Treaty”

Brazil-Turkey-Mediated Iran Deal Puts Ball in US Court

The administration of President Barack Obama has reacted skeptically to the nuclear swap accord signed Monday by Iran, Turkey, and Brazil, suggesting that Tehran would have to take significant additional steps to satisfy U.S. and Western demands to curb its nuclear program. “We acknowledge the efforts that have been made by Turkey and Brazil,” White … Continue reading “Brazil-Turkey-Mediated Iran Deal Puts Ball in US Court”

Aborted Bomb Plot Tests US-Pakistan Ties

Amid mounting evidence that Saturday’s aborted car-bombing in New York’s Times Square was linked to violent Islamist groups in Pakistan, observers here are expressing concern that recently enhanced cooperation between Washington and Islamabad could be negatively affected. Thus far, the two governments appear to be cooperating well in investigating the activities of the alleged terrorist … Continue reading “Aborted Bomb Plot Tests US-Pakistan Ties”

Radio, TV Marti Under Fire

Despite spending more than half a billion dollars over the last quarter century, U.S. government broadcasts to Cuba have gained only a tiny audience and have had virtually no effect on the island’s politics, according to a new report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Radio and TV Marti have failed to make any discernible … Continue reading “Radio, TV Marti Under Fire”