‘Extreme vetting’ procedures in effect for refugees bound for U.S. in Australian camps

‘Extreme vetting’ procedures in effect for refugees bound for U.S. in Australian camps

The United States has begun the new process known as “extreme vetting” for a group of refugees being held at an island detention center run by Australia. The refugees are part of a previously negotiated deal between the governments of Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, and former President Barack Obama, Reuters reports. President Trump […]

Bahrain security forces raid home of Shi’ite spiritual leader

Bahrain security forces raid home of Shi’ite spiritual leader

Bahraini security forces on Tuesday raided the home of the kingdom’s Shi’ite Muslim spiritual leader and shot dead at least one demonstrator during the operation. Ayatollah Isa Qassim was not among the 50 people arrested during the raid, but the move is likely to raise tensions in Bahrain days after U.S. President Donald Trump said […]

Trump and Mattis meet with UAE crown prince to finalize new defense partnership

Trump and Mattis meet with UAE crown prince to finalize new defense partnership

American Secretary of Defense James Mattis met with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates at the White House on Monday to formally finalize a new mutual defense agreement between the two nations. This new agreement is set to replace a previous one established in 1994, and is intended to better […]

Former CIA officer’s initial assessment of Trump giving sensitive intel to the Russians

Former CIA officer’s initial assessment of Trump giving sensitive intel to the Russians

The Washington Post is reporting today that during his meeting last week in the White House with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, President Donald Trump boasted of U.S. intelligence information on ISIS, specifically pertaining to threat information from a highly sensitive “liaison” reporting stream. Here are the salient facts in the […]

Streamlining the Intelligence Community

Streamlining the Intelligence Community

Recent news that DNI Dan Coats is looking for ways to streamline the gargantuan US Intelligence Community have returned the question of how American intelligence should be organized and structured to the fore. While previous efforts at “reform” were largely stillborn and confined to the marginal reshuffling of existing capabilities, the election of Donald Trump […]

Mexico second only to Syria as deadliest country in 2016

Mexico second only to Syria as deadliest country in 2016

Despite ongoing international crises in war zones like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Mexico quietly climbed to the top of the world’s deadliest countries for 2016. In its annual report on armed conflict, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) showed that 23,000 people were killed in Mexico in 2016, the highest number of any country in the […]

Merkel won’t commit Germany to adding troops in Afghanistan, NATO offers explanation for countries not paying their share

Merkel won’t commit Germany to adding troops in Afghanistan, NATO offers explanation for countries not paying their share

German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed questions pertaining to the ongoing fight against Islamic Extremists in Afghanistan on Thursday, in which she suggested that Germany would not be the nation to provide additional troops to the fight. Appearing in a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who would later address NATO spending, Merkel […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

In friendly phone call, Trump invites Philippine’s Duterte for White House meeting

In friendly phone call, Trump invites Philippine’s Duterte for White House meeting

President Donald Trump has invited President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines to the White House in a move that has shocked both detractors and supporters who are wary of the associating the United States with the controversial leader. Trump reportedly invited Duterte during a phone call on Saturday, which was described as a “friendly discussion” […]