Jim Lobe

Jim Lobe writes for Inter Press Service.

US Senate Passes New Sanctions on Iran

The U.S. Senate approved a new round of economic sanctions against Iran Friday, ignoring warnings by the White House that the additional measures could prove counter-productive to the goal of persuading Iran to curb its nuclear programme. The 94-0 vote, which was immediately praised by the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), marked a … Continue reading “US Senate Passes New Sanctions on Iran”

Israel Ranked World’s Most Militarized Nation

Israel tops the list of the world’s most militarized nations, according to the latest Global Militarisation Index released Tuesday by the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC). At number 34, Israel’s main regional rival, Iran, is far behind. Indeed, every other Near Eastern country, with the exceptions of Yemen (37) and Qatar (43), is more … Continue reading “Israel Ranked World’s Most Militarized Nation”

50th Anniversary of Cuban Missile Crisis Offers Lessons for Iran

It was exactly 50 years ago when President John F. Kennedy took to the airwaves to inform the world that the Soviet Union was introducing nuclear-armed missiles into Cuba and that he had ordered a blockade of the island — and would consider stronger action — to force their removal. “It was the most chilling … Continue reading “50th Anniversary of Cuban Missile Crisis Offers Lessons for Iran”

Gloomy News, Prognosis Out of Afghanistan

With all foreign troops due to leave Afghanistan just two years from now, the news out of the Central Asian nation is becoming increasingly gloomy. Adding to the pessimism is a just-released report by one of the most astute observers of the U.S. war, Gilles Dorronsoro, an Afghanistan expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International … Continue reading “Gloomy News, Prognosis Out of Afghanistan”

US to Take Iran Anti-Regime Group Off Terrorism List

In a move certain to ratchet up already-high tensions with Iran, the administration of President Barack Obama will remove a militant anti-regime group from the State Department’s terrorism list, U.S. officials told reporters here Friday. The decision, which is expected to be formally announced before Oct. 1, the deadline set earlier this year by a … Continue reading “US to Take Iran Anti-Regime Group Off Terrorism List”

US, Israeli Attacks Would Push Iran Toward Nukes

While U.S. or Israeli air strikes may delay the building by Iran of a nuclear weapon, they are unlikely to prevent it altogether and could well prove counter-productive, according to a major new report signed by nearly three dozen former top U.S. foreign-policy makers, military officers, and independent experts. The 56-page report, “Weighing Benefits and … Continue reading “US, Israeli Attacks Would Push Iran Toward Nukes”

Libya, Egypt Embassy Attacks Fuel US Presidential Race

Tuesday’s attacks by alleged radical Islamists on key U.S. diplomatic posts in Libya and Egypt propelled foreign policy, however briefly, to the center of the presidential race that has been dominated to date by the state of the economy. Pointing to the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other U.S. officials in … Continue reading “Libya, Egypt Embassy Attacks Fuel US Presidential Race”

US Public Satisfied With Less Militarized Global Role

Disillusioned by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. public is becoming increasingly comfortable with a more modest and less militarized global role for the nation, according to the latest in a biennial series of major surveys. That attitude is particularly pronounced in the so-called Millennial Generation, citizens between the ages of 18 and 29, … Continue reading “US Public Satisfied With Less Militarized Global Role”

Rights Activists Call on US to Revise Bahrain Policy

Human rights activists are calling on the administration of President Barack Obama to radically revise its policy toward Bahrain in light of the decision by an appeals court in the kingdom this week to confirm harsh prison sentences against 13 opposition activists. The court’s decision, which also confirmed the conviction of the 13 men by … Continue reading “Rights Activists Call on US to Revise Bahrain Policy”

Rights Groups Denounce Dropping of CIA Torture Cases

U.S. human rights groups have roundly condemned Thursday’s announcement by Attorney General Eric Holder that the Justice Department will not pursue prosecutions of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers who may have been responsible for the deaths of two prisoners in their custody. The announcement appeared to mark the end of all efforts by the U.S. … Continue reading “Rights Groups Denounce Dropping of CIA Torture Cases”