In The News

Armed Conflict Possible in Europe? Spiegel

Dirk Kurbjuweit September 6, 2019
The rise of antagonistic nationalism triggered World War II – and a wake of destruction with more than 60 million dead worldwide. Fears emerge that another wave of nationalism, with disregard for minorities and democratic institutions and emphasis on competition, could put an end to 75 relatively peaceful years. Writing for Spiegel Online, Dirk Kurbjuweit summarizes the events leading to the...

Israel-Iran Shadow War: New York Times

David M. Halbfinger, Ben Hubbard and Ronen Bergman September 2, 2019
Conflicts in the Middle East tend to attract interventions and proxy wars with regional players trying to reduce the influence of rivals. A team of writers for the New York Times reports that a shadow war between Israel and Iran is escalating with Israel pushing back at Iran's expansion in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria. “Israel accuses Iran of trying to establish an overland arms-supply...

Imran in Washington: Times of India

Nayan Chanda July 31, 2019
President Donald Trump, long opposed to US involvement in lengthy military campaigns, counts on Pakistan to help “extricate” his country from the war in Afghanistan. Nayan Chanda identifies a pattern in Trump’s approach on foreign challenges like North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. “Following the ‘threaten then flatter’ playbook Trump suspended $1.3 billion of annual aid to Pakistan before...

Air Raids Continue in Syria: Al Jazeera

July 26, 2019
The Syrian government, Russia and Iran continue to conduct air raids against remaining rebel holdouts in northwest Syria. The United Nations reports more than 100 civilians have been killed during the past 10 days with more than 400,000 people displaced during the past three months alone. Syria’s government claims it responds to ceasefire violations, including fighters balking at withdrawing from...

Ending America’s Endless War: Foreign Affairs

Bernie Sanders June 29, 2019
Senator Bernie Sanders, a 2020 Democratic candidate for the US presidential election, has long opposed US intervention in the Middle East, starting with his vote against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In an essay for Foreign Affairs, he outlines the history of Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and warns of consequences far more severe in a potential war with Iran. Syria, Iraq, Israel and the Persian...

Allies Made D-Day Landing Possible: USA Today

John Fritze June 6, 2019
More than 160,000 US and Allied troops landed on the coast of Normandy for the D-Day invasion. World leaders gather in France to commemorate the anniversary, honor veterans and remember the sacrifices. The invasion, a turning point in World War II, offers a reminder about the value of alliances, notes Nicholas Burns, former US ambassador to NATO, in an article by John Fritze of USA Today. Troops...

Trump Vetoes Yemen War Resolution: Washington Post

Felicia Sonmez, Josh Dawsey and Karoun Demirjian April 17, 2019
Congress approved a resolution that would have ended US support for the Saudi-led war Yemen – and Donald Trump issued a veto. Many analysts view the civil war in Yemen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran to constrain the other’s regional influence. The resolution had won support from both Republican and Democrats, with the Washington Post noting, “the Saudi-led effort, which has targeted...