Washington has an advanced relationship with Kuwait, the small Persian Gulf country out of which the U.S. pushed invading Iraqi forces in the 1991 Gulf War. U.S. troops are stationed in Kuwait on a more or less permanent basis, Kuwait receives considerable military...
Is John Kerry Wrong About Israeli Apartheid?
In the aftermath of reports claiming John Kerry said Israel will become an apartheid state without a two-state solution, the Secretary of State is being portrayed as far outside the mainstream and his language is being condemned as erroneous in the extreme. To...
How Far Is Too Far, Rand Paul?
The key to Rand Paul's tenure as a Senator and to his latent 2016 presidential campaign has been to maintain the libertarian base that helped propel his father's presidential bids while remaining somewhat within the mainstream Republican Party. That can be a difficult...
Obama: We Will Go To War For Other Nations’ Petty Territorial Disputes
President Obama, who is in Japan today, has announced that the U.S. defense treaty with Japan applies to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. Japan and China are in dispute over who has sovereignty over the largely uninhabited island chain in the East China Sea, but Obama's...
US, Israel Respond Hypocritically to Fatah-Hamas Political Agreement
After seven years of formal separation, the Palestinian parties of Fatah and Hamas have agreed to come together and form a unity government. Since the U.S. and Israel consider Hamas a terrorist group instead of a political party, they both vehemently oppose the...
Yes, Obama’s Asia Trip Is About Containing China
Over at The Diplomat, Shannon Tiezzi worries that Obama’s trip to Asia this week "will increase perceptions in Beijing that the U.S. seeks to contain China’s rise." It's difficult to counter that perception because it happens to be correct. Obama is visiting Japan,...
In Support of Dictatorship, US to Send Egypt Military Helicopters
The Washington Post reports that the U.S. has decided to "partially resume military aid to Egypt": The United States has decided to resume delivery of Apache helicopters to Egypt, the Pentagon announced late Tuesday, backtracking on a decision officials made last...
Court: US Can’t Keep Secret Laws Governing When It Can Assassinate Citizens
"...it would be good to know under what circumstances the White House thinks it can kill Americans without a trial." If Rip Van Winkle awoke just yesterday, he might be dumbfounded at the above sentence. To Americans in the Obama-era, it is an all too relatable...
How Many Bombed Weddings Does It Take to Unscrew US Drone Policy?
At least 35 people were killed in Yemen over the weekend in a series of U.S. drone strikes. As usual, government authorities claim those targeted and killed were al-Qaeda members. At least three civilians were confirmed to have been killed, but the true number is...
Obama, Intelligence Community Continue Crack Down on Transparency
According to Stephen Aftergood at Secrecy News, a new intelligence directive forbids any official from talking with the media and threatens "termination of employment" or "criminal prosecution" for any violators. The Director of National Intelligence has forbidden...


