In The News

Washington Post: Wall a Bad Investment

Heather Long January 9, 2019
Donald Trump insists that a formidable wall along the twisting US-Mexico border – about 1,900 miles in length– is the only solution to what he calls an immigration crisis. Economists argue the wall will do little to reduce illegal migration. Also, the wall “would hurt the U.S. economy because there would be fewer workers and lower output,” report three economists who modeled the wall’s impact, as...

Reuters: Erdoğan Rebukes US Security Adviser

Steve Holland and Orhan Coskun January 8, 2019
Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw US troops from Syria, adding that the Islamic State had been defeated. This followed a December telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who offered assurances that Turkey would manage final stages of the military campaign. Turkey and the United States, both NATO members, disagree about terms for the withdrawal. John Bolton, the US...

BBC: US Steps Up War in Somalia

Tomi Oladipo January 7, 2019
The terrorist group al Shabab controls large areas of Somalia. Since March 2017, the US military received broad approval to intervene and prevent coordination with other extremists throughout Africa including al Qaeda. The US attacks, targeting militant groups and leaders, have killed more than 500, and a report from BBC News does not anticipate that an announcement on US troop reduction in...

Washington Post: Afghans Slam Soviet Invasion Praise

Alex Horton and Sayed Salahuddin January 3, 2019
Donald Trump continues a pattern of rejecting longstanding US national security policies and supporting Russian interpretations by praising the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as a fight against terrorism. Both the United Nations and the United States opposed the invasion. US intelligence agencies supported Afghan rebels during the war, and the Soviet Union withdrew in 1989. The United States...

Washington Post: Mattis and Shock Waves Abroad

Griff Witte and Isaac Stanley-Becker December 21, 2018
The United States has the world’s largest military, yet national security relies on a network of allies along with expectations that US leaders promote stability and keep their word during times of crisis. The Trump administration has demonstrated little respect for key allies. US Secretary of Defense General James Mattis resigned after Donald Trump abruptly announced withdrawal of US troops from...

Al Jazeera: US Announces Syria Pullout

Andrew Wilks December 20, 2018
Syria’s civil war began in 2011 and soon attracted extremists and foreign powers including NATO members Turkey and the US as well as Russia and Iran who support the Assad regime in Syria. The US and Turkey have vehemently disagreed over the role of Syrian Democratic Forces, Kurdish fighters supported by the US and key to containing Islamic State terrorists. Turkey’s president regards the Kurdish...

NPR: Taliban Meets With US Officials

Colin Dwyer December 18, 2018
Afghan Taliban have met with US officials to discuss peace, but the group refuses to meet with representatives of the Afghan government. The focus of the meetings in the United Arab Emirates is to end the war underway since the 9/11 attacks and the 2001 US invasion that unseated the Taliban. The Afghan government has offered to recognize the Taliban as a political party and proposed ceasefires –...