Author: M Barbu

Recap: U.S. and Iran Stir Up Confrontation in Syria

Recent weeks in Syria have witnessed an escalation of violence between U.S. forces and militias backed by Iran.

Recent weeks in Syria have witnessed an escalation of violence between U.S. forces and militias backed by Iran. According to the opposition website Baladi News, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has stated that two positions of its forces in the fields of Omar and Kuniko, located in Deir-ez-Zor, were hit by rocket attacks on Wednesday evening. In a statement, CENTCOM said that it responded to the attacks using a helicopter, destroying three cars and equipment used to launch missiles.

Still More Dangerous New Concessions by Biden Administration for a Nuclear Deal with Iran’s Mullahs

Newly leaked information from inside Iran, obtained by Iran International, reveals that the Biden administration has made even more concessions to revive the nuclear deal, which have not been revealed to the public. According to the report, “the US guarantees that its sanctions against IRGC would not affect other sectors and firms: e.g. a petrochemical company shouldn’t be sanctioned by US because of doing business with IRGC.”

Status Quo No More

Civilian PRC soldiers in Xiamen, Fujian, patrolling the coast, 1960s. The words on the rock read “We will liberate Taiwan

Taiwan has been the perennial flashpoint between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This has been the case for decades. While each side has consistently pointed to the Three Joint Communiques as the basis of the bilateral US-PRC relationship, the reality has always been that each side had nuanced, if not different, interpretations of these documents, particularly as they pertained to Taiwan.[1] Furthermore, the Shanghai Communique is largely comprised of unilateral statements and declarations that highlight that the two sides held differing opinions on key issues. Additionally, the US also had the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances as relevant framing documents. Despite the incongruous frames of reference (or at least the incongruous interpretations thereof), both sides have historically admonished the other to not change the status quo over Taiwan. On the heels of what many are now referring to as the Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis, we have to wonder what status quo even means 50 years after the original Shanghai Communique.[2]

Facts about Monkeypox

Monkeypox is a contagious viral disease that can be especially serious for children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. Increased access to vaccines is critical to prevent its spread.

The World Putin Wants

How Distortions About the Past Feed Delusions About the Future

Vladimir Putin is determined to shape the future to look like his version of the past. Russia’s president invaded Ukraine not because he felt threatened by NATO expansion or by Western “provocations.” He ordered his “special military operation” because he believes that it is Russia’s divine right to rule Ukraine, to wipe out the country’s national identity, and to integrate its people into a Greater Russia.

The Western Balkans need a problem-solver, not a facilitator

Another round of discussions between Serbia and Kosovo ended inconclusively Thursday in Brussels, even as tensions between the two countries continue to spiral. The stakes are high: Violence almost erupted two weeks ago in the north of Kosovo, with local Serbs raising barricades and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić warning that open conflict was imminent.

Washington wins as Turkey and Israel restore normal ties

Last week, Turkey and Israel announced that they would normalize their diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors and consuls for the first time since 2018. The announcement follows a series of recent high-level visits, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s March trip to Turkey, Israeli Foreign Minister and acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s visit in June to Turkey, and Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s May trip to Israel.

What the world has learned from Russia’s war in Ukraine

When it was first launched in the wee hours of February 24, the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was supposed to last just a few days and end with the quick capture of Kyiv.

Fast-forward six months: Those plans collapsed in spectacular fashion as Ukraine beat back Russian troops through a combination of sheer determination and plentiful Western arms. But despite Ukraine’s success, the conflict is far from over. On the contrary, it appears to be settling into a long, attritional battle that will test Ukrainian and Western resolve.