Foreign Policy

A huge oil producer is ramping up production — but there’s reason to remain cautious

Oil prices have cratered in recent days following a slew of news, including renewed oversupply fears from Libya. Last week, the country’s Sharara and El Feel oilfields, which can pump 400,000 barrels per day, came back online. The National Oil Company (NOC) said on Monday that Libya’s oil production jumped to 760,000 bpd — the highest level since December 2014. […]

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant: U.S. lagging far behind Russia in the Arctic

Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft warned on Wednesday that the United States is woefully behind other nations like Russia and China in securing the arctic waterways critical to national defense and economic security. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Zukunft issued a warning that Russia has “made a […]

As Turkey’s Erdogan savors new powers, there are whispers of dissent among his loyalists

ISTANBUL — The scenes of Turkey’s bloody and abortive military coup last July still scar Uskudar, an old waterside district of Istanbul that was a deadly front of violence that night and remains, nearly a year later, a wellspring of the nation’s rage. Residents nervously recall the armored vehicles that appeared that night, the rattle of […]

Trump, Mattis respond to budget approval that provides $21 billion influx to defense in 2017

On Monday, politicians on both sides of the aisle came to an agreement to stave off a potential government shutdown that allocated more than a trillion dollars to funding federal programs through the remainder of 2017. Included in that sum is a $21 billion funding increase for defense; a sum that can hopefully help right […]

Senior aide to Turkish President Erdogan threatens U.S. forces in Syria

An aide to Turkish president Recep Erdogan told a radio show that the U.S. soldiers in northern Syria are not safe from Turkish bombs, saying “we won’t be considering the fact that there are armored American vehicles… all of a sudden, by accident, a few rockets can hit them.” His comments come as a politically […]

Russian bombers and advanced fighters intercepted by F-22s near Alaska

A pair of Russian TU-95 Bear bombers, accompanied by two SU-35 fighter jet escorts, entered Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday night; marking the fifth time in less than a month that Russia has conducted such provocative air maneuvers. The Russian formation of four military aircraft were quickly intercepted by two American F-22 Raptors […]

National Security Adviser touts President Trump’s ‘disruptive’ approach to foreign policy

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster characterized the foreign policy style of President Donald Trump as ‘disruptive’ in a speech this week, adding context to recent Trump statements that have left supporters and detractors alike wondering as to where the President definitively stands on key issues. “Some people have described him as disruptive. They’re right. And […]

Vodka soaked-gummy bears and militias: Report details how a U.S. contractor might have broken the law in Iraq

An American contracting company that was paid millions by the U.S. government to secure an Iraqi air base ignored reports of theft, sex trafficking, alcohol smuggling and repeated security breaches before firing the internal investigators that were looking into the violations, according to a report by the Associated Press on Wednesday. The AP’s story is based on more than […]

Al-Qaeda in Yemen claims to be fighting alongside U.S.-backed coalition forces

The leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has claimed that members of his terrorist organization have fought alongside U.S.-backed forces in Yemen’s civil war. Qasim al-Rimi, the current leader of AQAP, who assumed the position after his predecessor was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2015, said that his fighters have joined […]

China releases propaganda poster to celebrate its navy, accidentally includes US and Russian military hardware

Last month, China was gearing up to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy, which would be punctuated by the launch of the first-ever entirely Chinese-constructed aircraft carrier. On April 23rd, the PLA uploaded a poster to their various social media outlets depicting China’s first (and only) aircraft carrier […]

Shinzo Abe sets sights on 2020 amendment to Japanese constitution to recognize military

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed amending the Japanese constitution to formalize the existence of the Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) by 2020. Abe has made reforming Article 9 of Japan’s constitution, the ‘pacifist clause,’ a central theme in his time as Prime Minister. Polls show support for the change growing annually, while opposition […]

North Korea is building mysterious artificial islands that would be perfect for missile launches

North Korea is building artificial islands in the Yellow Sea and topping them with what appear to be military installations, satellite images reveal. The development suggests that North Korea has taken a cue from China, which has been stoking regional tensions by building and militarizing several artificial islands in the South China Sea in recent […]