We all knew the name of Osama Bin Laden. He was really a household word in the US, because of 9/11. But it appears that in terms of geopolitical influence and scope, Suleimani was much bigger, and his takeout might … Continue reading →
SCOOP: Senior US government official confirms to CBS News the strike was in response to active threat to US interests in the region personally overseen by GEN Suleimani. Official made clear US prepared to take further action if diplomats, soldiers … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a somewhat-edited version of a previous post.] Today is the seventy-eighth anniversary of the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. The generation that reacted to it by mobilizing and fighting World War II is on its last … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a repeat of a previous post.] Yes, indeed, I am that old—old enough to just barely remember when Veterans Day was called Armistice Day. The change in names occurred in 1954, when I was very small, in … Continue reading →
There have been protests recently in Lebanon, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri has resigned as a result. What’s it all about? Well, some is economics: Lebanon, one of the most heavily indebted countries in the world, already was dealing with … Continue reading →
Trump approved the raid by US special forces about a week ago: A U.S. Army official briefed on the results of the operation told Newsweek that Baghdadi was killed in the raid, and the Defense Department told the White House … Continue reading →
Today’s announcement: Speaking at the White House, Trump said that while a “permanent ceasefire” will be tough to maintain in the volatile region, he hopes it will last and end the conflict between Turkey and the Kurds. “I do believe … Continue reading →
Mitt Romney is a strange case for a politician. He lacks the common touch completely, which is probably the main reason he lost in 2012 and helped us get four more years of Obama. Although Romney was far from my … Continue reading →
As I wrote recently, I don’t trust most analyses of the Turkey vs. Kurds situation right now. I’m not just talking about the left, either. Just as one small example, we have this article in the WSJ yesterday, with the … Continue reading →
One of the things that has happened to me during the last twenty years or so is that my natural skepticism of all news analysis has increased (and that’s saying something because I was somewhat skeptical even before that). I’ve … Continue reading →
Here’s an interesting take: But one thing no one is looking at is the position Trump is in, with no prospect of support or even reasonable collaboration from the House of Representatives. For the sake of the Americans in uniform … Continue reading →
It’s complicated, and to even begin to understand it you have to go back in time. But most of us here probably remember this: In 2014 Obama was negotiating his nuclear deal with Iran… Given its goal of embracing Iran, … Continue reading →