US claims Israeli settlements are not illegal

US claims Israeli settlements are not illegal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reversed decades of U.S. foreign policy and declared that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories will no longer be considered illegal. The new American position on the settlements puts it at odds with the overwhelming majority of states around the world, including most of the U.S. allies. Arguing that […]

Op-Ed: With all eyes on impeachment, US fails to fund its military once again

Op-Ed: With all eyes on impeachment, US fails to fund its military once again

The ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump is, of course, big news worthy of a great deal of coverage. Depending on how the inquiry goes, Trump may well become the third president in history ever to be impeached, and although the chances of a Republican controlled Senate removing him from office are so small […]

Trump asks Japan to pay $8 billion per year for hosting US troops

Trump asks Japan to pay $8 billion per year for hosting US troops

President Donald Trump has reportedly requested that the Japanese government more than quadruple its annual contribution for stationing American troops in the country. This would mark a significant increase from the roughly $1.8 billion (197.4 billion yen) currently earmarked for the purpose in Japan’s fiscal budget. This is part of a wider move to get […]

Just weeks after Syria pullout, US troops return to defend oil fields

Just weeks after Syria pullout, US troops return to defend oil fields

Just weeks after President Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Northern Syria, troops have returned to defend oil facilities from falling into the hands of the Islamic State. There were approximately 1,000 American troops in Northern Syria when President Trump announced, “It’s time to come back home,” earlier in October, but with this […]

Will the elimination of Baghdadi change the US’ relationship with the Kurds?

Will the elimination of Baghdadi change the US’ relationship with the Kurds?

The swift and daring raid by members of the United States Special Operations Command to take out Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was a resounding success. Al-Baghdadi who was considered the head of ISIS and established a caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq before being routed by a U.S.-led coalition. That coalition included the Kurdish-led Syrian […]

US forces bombed their own base in Syria to keep Turkey from getting to their ammo

US forces bombed their own base in Syria to keep Turkey from getting to their ammo

Shortly after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. troops out of Northern Syria, a pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles carried out an airstrike against the LaFarge Cement Factory base in the region, which had served as a joint U.S. Special Operations and Syrian Democratic Forces installation since it was liberated from ISIS control […]

Ending the ‘forever wars?’ US to deploy more troops to defend Saudi Arabia from Iran

Ending the ‘forever wars?’ US to deploy more troops to defend Saudi Arabia from Iran

The Pentagon announced plans to deploy 1,500 more troops to Saudi Arabia on Friday, including two fighter squadrons, one air expeditionary wing, two Patriot missile batteries, and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. This decision comes shortly after President Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Northern Syria, a move that has […]

Iran’s newest weapon is a perfect example of how to fight the US in the 21st century

Iran’s newest weapon is a perfect example of how to fight the US in the 21st century

The United States has long possessed the most powerful, technologically advanced, and well-trained military force in the world — but powerful and invulnerable are very different things. America’s broad and diverse fighting force has been at war in multiple theaters for the better part of two decades, not only wearing American troops and equipment thin, […]

The FBI has been running Facebook ads aimed at Russians working in Washington DC

The FBI has been running Facebook ads aimed at Russians working in Washington DC

In a story seemingly pulled right out of a modern espionage novel, the FBI has apparently been paying to run targeted ads on Facebook aimed specifically at Russian speakers that live and work in Washington D.C. The ads feature Russian language captions and a link that refers the user to a website that offers details […]

Money for Nothing: Hollywood Blockbusters and China’s cultural offensive

Money for Nothing: Hollywood Blockbusters and China’s cultural offensive

Over the past week, China’s efforts to use economic leverage to force the NBA to bar anyone associated with the league from expressing public support for ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong has drawn a slew of headlines, with many American realizing for the first time that China’s monetary hooks are already deeply sunk into […]

The comeback of Austria’s Right Wing

The comeback of Austria’s Right Wing

Sunday’s election in Austria has proven to be a success for former chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party (ÖPP) following a corruption scandal that rocked the government. A path back to creating a governing coalition, however, is not clear-cut. In May, snap elections were called following a no-confidence vote that resulted in Kurz being ousted […]