In The News

Iran Strikes Iraq Bases: Washington Post

Karen DeYoung, Paul Sonne and Dan Lamothe January 8, 2020
Iran launched more than 10 ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases with US military personnel, described as retaliation for the death of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani at US hands. Analysts describe the missile attack as restrained, though Iran warned it would meet a US response with additional attacks, including countries hosting US bases. Iran claimed casualties; the United States and Iraq...

EU Seeks UK Compromise for Brexit Trade Deal: AP

Jill Lawless and Raf Casert January 8, 2020
The British may consider Brexit a done deal after December’s decisive election, but the European Union expects “major concessions” and hard details. The United Kingdom leaves the EU on January 31, and the tough task of negotiating a trade deal awaits, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned the British prime minister that reaching a comprehensive agreement is challenging...

The President’s Men Must Testify: New York Times

Harold Hongju Koh January 7, 2020
The US House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump after compiling evidence about blocked military aid for Ukraine. The White House ordered staff not to testify, and most complied. The two articles of impeachment “should overrule any ethical or legal objection these witnesses now have to testifying before the Senate,” argues Harold Hongju Koh,...

Iranians Display Unity: Wall Street Journal

Aresu Eqbali and Sune Engel Rasmussen January 6, 2020
The US targeted killing of powerful commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad has united Iranians and their leaders call for retribution. Esmail Qaani vows to carry on Soleimani's work of orchestrating interventions and shadow wars throughout the Middle East, suggests, “The minimum retribution for us is to remove America from the region.” Iran also announced its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear...

Idlib Violence Spurs Refugees: Spiegel

Melanie Amann, Giorgos Christides, Steffen Lüdke, Peter Müller and Maximilian Popp January 6, 2020
Idlib, one of 14 governorates in Syria, has a population of about 3 million people, according to the United Nations. As a rebel stronghold during the Syrian civil war, Idlib is under siege from Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime, with residents desperate to flee to nearby Turkey. “The Idlib offensive could finally mark the end of the war in Syria -- but also the beginning of a new mass exodus,”...

Debate Goes Dark in Beijing: The Guardian

January 5, 2020
China’s human rights violations with regard to the ethnic Turkic minority of the Xinjiang province attract international criticism. The Chinese government’s detention of Uighurs into concentration camps was the subject of a segment of a US Democratic presidential debate. China refuses to acknowledge the criticism, and a live CNN broadcast of the debate “went dark in Beijing,” reports the Guardian...

End of Oil Dependence and Geopolitics: BBC

James Landale January 4, 2020
Technological advances in renewable energy are putting purveyors of fossil fuels on notice. For example, solar energy is advancing with improved site locations, molten salt and mirrors. Battery and electric vehicle technologies are also advancing, and such developments will impact global politics, suggests James Landale. “From that moment, much of the history of the 20th Century can be seen...