Turkey is now helping make Russian air defenses better at tracking US fighter jets

While Turkey’s decision to purchase Russia’s advanced S-400 air defense system may have cost them access to America’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, it’s are already moving ahead with testing the Russian weapon system against U.S. made F-16s. Some American officials have already voiced concerns over the possibility that Russia will gain access to target acquisition […]

Trump set to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorists

In the aftermath of the killing of members of the U.S.-Mexican Mormon family on November 4th, the Trump administration is set to formally designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorists. The killing, which resulted in the deaths of three women and six children, has sparked renewed interest in the years-long bloody drug war that has engulfed […]

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

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

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 […]

The defense implications of a Trump impeachment

The public hearing for the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump is underway, and while a lot of the nation’s attention is focused on domestic politics, it’s important to remember that the world continues to turn even when our attention wanes. As Republicans and Democrats in Washington D.C. and all around the nation fortify their […]

Op-Ed: A plea for civility as we head into presidential campaign season

Contrary to the common sentiment of today, the American media has pretty much always been fiercely partisan. In fact, the word “objective” didn’t really apply to journalism at large until late in the 20th century, following an era of particularly sensational news coverage aimed entirely at increasing circulation (sound familiar?). If you think press coverage […]

Nine American women and children killed in suspected cartel attack in Mexico

At least three women and six children belonging to a fundamentalist Mormon family were killed in a suspected cartel attack in Northern Mexico on Monday. Two of the children were six-month-old twins. Most of the victims of the attack held dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States. President Donald Trump tweeted about the incident, […]

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 […]

Trump lifts sanctions on Turkey as he declares ‘permanent’ ceasefire with the Kurds

President Trump announced on Wednesday that he would be lifting sanctions placed on Turkey over their military offensive against U.S.-partnered Kurdish forces in Northern Syria, following the establishment of what he called a “permanent ceasefire” between the two groups. The president went on to declare that, despite receiving harsh criticism from officials on both sides […]