Amid Trump’s NATO blasts, U.S. Marines’ Norway mission goes on

Nearly 300 U.S. Marines landed in Norway on Monday with a clear assignment from the outgoing Obama administration: Train with allies and help reinforce the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s northernmost border with Russia. But the latest comments from President-elect Donald Trump—who referred to NATO as “obsolete” in a newspaper interview—have left the U.S. military in […]

Trump national security spokeswoman Monica Crowley to forgo post amid plagiarism charges

Monica Crowley, recently appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to a key national security communications job, said Monday that she would relinquish the post amid multiple allegations of plagiarism. Crowley, who has been named senior director of strategic communications at the National Security Council, said in a statement that “after much reflection,” she had decided to […]

Hundreds of Marines landing in Norway officially has nothing to do with Russia… unofficially has everything to do with Russia

For the first time since World War II, three hundred U.S. Marines landed in Norway on Monday.  Although these troops arrived just days after more than 3500 American service personnel landed in Poland in support of NATO Operation Atlantic Resolve (bolstering European defenses against a potential Russian attack) both American and Norwegian officials dismissed suggestions […]

First sign of enhanced U.S.-Russia relations under Trump: An invite to Syria talks

Russia has invited the incoming Trump administration to Syrian peace talks it is sponsoring later this month with Turkey and Iran, part of a process from which the Obama administration pointedly has been excluded. U.S. participation, especially if an agreement is reached, would be the first indication of the enhanced U.S.-Russia cooperation that President Vladi­mir […]

Opinion: Wall or not, something is going to be done.

PEOTUS Trump promised his followers on the campaign trail that a wall would be a built. There’s evidence out there, at least in some geographic areas, it absolutely would work. But, maybe in others – it wouldn’t. I am not an expert – although it might be wise to try and become so over the […]

Obama administration to lift some sanctions against Sudan

The United States will ease some financial sanctions against Sudan in recognition of what the Obama administration says are small areas of improvement in fighting terrorism and other U.S. goals, the White House announced Friday. The move, which lifts elements of a U.S. trade embargo in place since the Clinton administration, is a show of […]

Trump team struggles for cohesion on tougher China policy

The incoming U.S. administration’s tough talk against China has set the stage for showdowns on everything from security to trade and cyberspace, but contradictory signals are sowing uncertainty over how far President-elect Donald Trump is prepared to go in confronting Beijing. Highlighting the contested South China Sea as a potential flashpoint, Trump’s Secretary of State […]

The U.N. can find balance in the Middle East

The United Nations Security Council last month passed Resolution 2334, which states that Israeli settlements have “no legal basis.” The resolution made the mistake of only looking at one side of the map. To complete the job, the U.N. should pass a resolution that condemns Palestinian maximalist claims with the same sharp legal language it […]

US Intelligence Officials brief members of Congress on Russian election interference.

Last night, Rep. Lieu (D-CA) released an official statement outlining his stance on Russian involvement in the election. He did so after reviewing an intelligence document concerning Russia’s involvement in the US Presidential election. He released the following statement: I have now read the highly classified intelligence report on Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in […]

Soviet successes in space: the Venus lander the world forgot about

On Monday, August 6th, 2012, I got up four hours before the sun rose.  I wasn’t due on post for another five hours, and I’d barely slept, but there was history to observe – and the warm comfort of my bed wasn’t going to keep me from witnessing it.  I blindly silenced my phone’s alarm, […]

US levies sanctions against Syria for using chemical weapons on their own people

The United States formally “blacklisted” eighteen Syrian officials that have been tied to the use of chemical weapons on Thursday, as well as five governmental organizations.  These first sanctions against the Syrian government for the use of weapons of mass destruction came as a result of an international investigation that found the Syrian government had […]