Russia

(By Pepe Escobar via Tomdispatch) HONG KONG — A specter is haunting Washington, an unnerving vision of a Sino-Russian alliance wedded to an expansive symbiosis of trade and commerce across much of the Eurasian land mass — at the expense of the United States. And no wonder Washington is anxious. That alliance is already a […]

Climate Change

The Ukraine Crisis and Qatar’s Ascendancy should Make us think Big Solar, not Gas

Juan Cole

Originally published on SolarWakeup.By Yann Brandt Solar may be a small portion of energy production globally but the importance in geo-politics continues to grow. All energy usage may be local, when a homeowner plugs in their cell phone charge into…

Eastern Europe

Russian Sanctions-Busting?: Putin’s bruited 500k b/d oil deal with Iran draws US Threats

Juan Cole

Russia has rejected US criticism of a plan that has been floated to import 500,000 barrels a day of petroleum from Iran on a barter basis. The US Treasury Department has been instructed by Congress to place a financial blockade on Iran. The US has had that country kicked off major international bank exchanges, making […]

Afghanistan

US National Security hijacked, flown into Bermuda Triangle of Mysteries

Juan Cole

(By Tom Engelhardt) Isn’t there something strangely reassuring when your eyeballs are gripped by a “mystery” on the news that has no greater meaning and yet sweeps all else away? This, of course, is the essence of the ongoing tale of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Except to the relatives of those on […]

Climate Change

Ukraine wouldn’t be as much a Crisis if Europe had adopted Green Energy Faster

contributors

Originally published on EnergyPost.eu.By Sonja van Renssen Decisions on a new European climate and energy policy for 2030 are relegated to autumn as heads of state are caught up in the Ukraine crisis. At their spring summit in Brussels, EU leaders…

Arab World

Crimea, Egypt, Syria: Cole Interview on Ian Masters’ “Background Briefing”

Juan Cole

My radio interview with Ian Masters at KPFK on developments in Egypt, Ukraine and Syria is now available on the web: Play it above or if it doesn’t display (it takes 20 seconds to load), the audio file is here The blurb: “Then we examine the effectiveness of E.U. and U.S. sanctions on Putin’s Russia, […]

Eastern Europe

Is Russia a “Regional Power” or “Geopolitical Threat”? Obama argues with Romney from the Hague

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) The peculiar American two-party system followed President Obama to the Hague on Tuesday, where he gave a joint press conference with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, leader of a Neoliberal, market-oriented party with a secular orientation. Obama was asked about the Ukraine, and replied from across the Atlantic to Mitt Romney’s […]

censorship

Rep. Mike Rogers Says Snowden’s To Blame For Russia’s Aggressive Actions Against Ukraine

Juan Cole

Mike Rogers is still willing to spread his stupidity to any new outlet that will have him. Despite the NSA and FBI being unable to find any evidence that Snowden colluded with Russian intelligence, Rogers continues to insist the former analyst is a…

Featured

Why Romney is Wrong that Obama’s Syria Policy Emboldened Putin

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) On Face the Nation on Sunday, Mitt Romney slammed President Obama’s policies toward Russia as “naive” and called the country a “geopolitical adversary” of the US. He also seemed to suggest that Obama’s Syria policy emboldened Russia. He said: “”Well, there’s no question but that the president’s naivete with regards to Russia, […]