Malaysian plane downing: Will it change course of Ukraine conflict?
It would seem to be a game-changer, but security analysts hold out little expectation that will be the case. A wild card? Germany.
It would seem to be a game-changer, but security analysts hold out little expectation that will be the case. A wild card? Germany.
US pledges its help to try to save almost 300 girls kidnapped in Nigeria last month by the terrorist group Boko Haram. Military aid is not likely, but assistance with intelligence and crisis management could be.
With Secretary of State Kerry traveling to Kiev Tuesday, critics of Obama’s foreign policy doctrine are hoping the trip signals the end of ‘lead from behind.’
Whether Assad could be part of a transitional Syrian government elicited sharp disagreement at the talks, suggesting US hopes for the forum were modest, perhaps just a series of small steps.
The Nuclear Materials Security Index notes progress in several countries. In the last two years, seven have given up most of their weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, while others are tightening security measures.
In a new report, a Senate committee faults the State Department and US intelligence agencies for failure to prevent the 2012 terrorist attack on a US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Congress appears to be moving toward approving new sanctions against Iran with a veto-proof majority, potentially undermining the interim nuclear deal now being implemented.
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he witnessed a president making the right decisions and following the right strategy in Afghanistan, but not really believing in them.
Just a month ago, the Free Syrian Army appeared to be in disarray. But on Monday, Al Qaeda-aligned rebels retreated from some of their strongholds after clashes with the FSA and moderate Islamists.
The bipartisan group of senators say their threat of harsher sanctions will lead Iran to negotiate in good faith to reach a final deal with the international community on the scope of its nuclear program. White House sees the bill as ill-timed.
The US promised Tuesday to look into the arrest, on visa fraud charges, of India’s deputy consul-general in New York, but the indignation and retaliation has yet to abate.
Optimistic reactions to the Iran nuclear deal, such as higher prices for certain stocks and lower for oil, could sour quickly if Iran fails to follow through on the requirements it signed on to Sunday.
President Obama talked to a bipartisan group of senators Tuesday about the potential interim deal with Iran. Although some lawmakers are not satisfied with such a deal, it appears that no new sanctions are likely to pass Congress at least until December.
With the six powers set to seek an interim agreement with Iran this week on its nuclear program, Israel’s Netanyahu hailed Hollande as a lone voice opposing a ‘really bad’ deal.
The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty does not explicitly cite a ‘right’ to enrich uranium, and how the US and other powers resolve this dispute has implications beyond Iran.
If anything, Congress wants to ramp up sanctions against Iran, not soften them, asserting that only more economic hardship can persuade Tehran to dismantle its nuclear program.
Among the nations poised to join the UN Human Rights Council are Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia, which have all stymied attempts by the council to look into their human-rights records.
Iran and six world powers return to talks Thursday on the country’s nuclear program. Despite word that Iran would be ready to put specifics on the table, that doesn’t appear to be the case now.
John Kerry faces two formidable challenges in his visit to the Mideast: keep frustrated Palestinians committed to peace talks, and reassure Israel’s Netanyahu that Obama isn’t going soft on Iran.
Germany and France likely want a no-spying agreement with the US similar to the one Britain made after World War II, but US intelligence needs are far different today, experts say.
By Howard LaFranchi
Oct. 29, 2013