Blames Israel to avoid ISIS Iran is notorious for using proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis to do its dirty work. It was so humiliated during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) that it has cowered from confrontation ever since. Only that explains this: ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack in Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution, which has shaken… Read more.
geopolitics
Henry Kissinger, the Iago of Geopolitics, Leaves the World Stage
Kissinger, authoritarian whisperer of realpolitik Henry Kissinger was a titan of 20th-century geopolitics. But his legacy is as complex as it is controversial. Many hailed him as a master strategist. I railed against him as a cunning narcissist. He courted praise for dispensing sage chess-like geopolitical advice. Yet, I can fairly distill his diplomatic treatise… Read more.
Supporting Ukraine, Israel, and (the People of) Palestine? Yes We Can
Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine There is no contradiction or conflict in supporting Ukraine, Israel, and the people of Palestine at the same time. Just yesterday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin used an American idiom to make this point, declaring, “We can walk and chew gum at the same time.” Except that even Austin was only referring to… Read more.
Israel Is Planning a ‘Complete Siege’ of Gaza
This afternoon, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu announced that Israel is amassing forces to invade and raze Gaza. He warned that the decimation Israel intends to execute will echo for generations. Sieging Gaza Netanyahu’s quest for vengeance is understandable. But it behooves all of us who stand with Israel to maintain a little perspective, especially in this, Israel’s darkest hour.… Read more.
Trudeau Accuses Modi of Murder, Khashoggi style
Trudeau accuses Modi of murder Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just shocked the world. He announced that Canada’s security services had “credible evidence” that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered this hit: ON THE EVENING of June 18th Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader whom India considered a terrorist, was sitting in his truck in a… Read more.
North Korea Is Meeting Russia to Supply Weapons from China
North Korea supplying Russia Chinese weapons The X factor in the war in Ukraine is whether China will end up supplying weapons to Russia the way the US is supplying them to Ukraine. I submit that China will not. But it faces an abiding dilemma: China has a geostrategic interest in seeing Russia prevail. But it fears doing… Read more.
Coup in Gabon: America Is Partly to Blame
Another week, another coup Military coups in Africa are far more regular than presidential elections in America. Africa has had 486 attempted coups since 1950 (214 successful), whereas America has had only 59 elections (and 1 attempted coup). So, waking up this morning to breaking news of a coup in Gabon was hardly surprising. Military officers in Gabon said they… Read more.
Turkey Greenlights Sweden’s NATO Membership – After Giving Members a Near Heart Attack
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan straddles Western democracies and Eastern autocracies, much as Turkey straddles Europe and Asia. His politics are as ambidextrous as Turkey’s geography is strategic. And Erdogan has used Sweden’s application for NATO membership to display his ambidexterity. Turkey greenlights Sweden’s NATO membership Russia’s genocidal invasion of Ukraine scared Finland and Sweden straight. It moved both to… Read more.
The ‘Ugly American’ Is Being Upstaged by the ‘Uglier Chinese’ Tourist
The ugly American I hail from The Bahamas. So, I have standing to comment on tourist stereotypes. After all, every Bahamian has experienced the “ugly American.” We know firsthand their habits, idiosyncrasies, and bad behavior. Yet, a report published by CNN today is turning that stereotype on its head. The headline alone speaks volumes: ‘Everybody loves Americans’: Why US… Read more.
Prigozhin’s Failed Coup Succeeded in Exposing Putin’s Fake Power
Prigozhin’s failed coup Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenaries marched on Saturday to overthrow Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. And they seemed as hell-bent as Libyan opposition forces were when they marched to overthrow Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Everyone was rooting for those Wagner mercenaries to succeed. That is, except for the notorious few… Read more.