US Foreign Policy

By Thalif Deen | — UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – The escalating military conflicts in the Middle East – and the month-long aerial bombings of Yemen by an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia – have triggered a new arms race in the politically-volatile region. The primary beneficiaries are the United States and Russia, two of […]

Featured

Rand Paul: GOP Hawks are Obama’s “Lapdogs;” McCain: Paul ‘Worst Candidate’

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) The philosophical difference between the Libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and the GOP hawks has burst into open name-calling. First, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that Paul had been more wrong than right, and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) jumped in, calling him “naive.” On Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom” on […]

Houthi

How U.S. will monitor Iranian ships in Yemen

contributors

CNN | – “CNN’s Tom Foreman uses virtual reality to show how the U.S. intends to monitor Iranian ships off the coast of Yemen.” CNN: “How U.S. will monitor Iranian ships in Yemen”

Featured

As US Consulate in Irbil. Iraq, is Bombed, can US still do Diplomacy in ME?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) A bombing that killed 3 people and wounded 10 on Saturday outside the US consulate in Irbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, raises an important question about the US diplomatic presence in the eastern reaches of the Middle East. Is it still possible for diplomats to do their work this way? The […]

Iran

If U.S. Bombed Iran What Would Actually Happen?

contributors

Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks) – ” Cenk Uygur host of The Young Turks discusses what would happen if the United States decided to launch a war campaign against Iran. “Many in the United States government seems to be foaming at the mouth to go to war with Iran including Republican Sen. Tom Cotton […]

Barack Obama

As Congress takes on Iran Deal, it should Remember its Iraq Blunder

contributors

By David M. Faris | (Ethos) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Geneva I SALT gets in your eyes The last time Lausanne was in the news, it was for hosting the negotiations that finalized the post-WWI territorial settlement in the Middle East that appears to be […]

Barack Obama

US history of coup-making Overshadows Obama’s outreach to Iran, Latin American Left

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – President Obama met with Cuban President Raoul Castro for an hour on Saturday, and the two made progress on plans to restore diplomatic relations. Before the meeting, Obama said, “I think that after 50 years of policy that had not changed on the part of the United States, […]

Iran

Americans don’t want Congress to sabotage Iran deal – new poll

contributors

RT | – Although some lawmakers, including Democrats, believe Congress should have a say in any potential removal of Iranian sanctions, most Americans say Congress should not keep a possible a nuclear deal from being implemented. Roughly 61 percent of Americans support the framework agreement struck between Iran and the P5+1 (the US, UK, France, […]

Central Intelligence Agency

US Increases Intelligence-Sharing With Saudi Arabia Over Yemen Strikes

contributors

By Nadia Prupis, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) – U.S. ups ‘sensitive’ intelligence-sharing with Saudis to help them get ‘better sense of the battlefield,’ while aid groups describe disaster on the ground in Yemen As the humanitarian crisis in Yemen worsens, the U.S. is stepping up its role in supporting Saudi Arabia’s bombing campaign against the […]