Netanyahu to discuss ‘bad’ Iran deal with Trump, Kerry stresses settlements

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would discuss with Donald Trump the West’s “bad” nuclear deal with Iran after the U.S. president-elect enters the White House. Speaking separately to a conference in Washington, Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry clashed over the Iran deal and Israel’s settlement construction on the […]

Joint Chiefs prep military strategy plans for Trump and top commanders

The Joint Chiefs of Staff are finalizing a classified military strategy they plan to present to President-elect Donald Trump detailing the military challenges to the US, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said Saturday. The classified report has been underway for months, and is spearheaded by General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint […]

Panel urges better cybersecurity to President-elect Trump

A presidential commission on Friday made 16 urgent recommendations to improve the nation’s cybersecurity, including creating a nutritional-type label to help consumers shop wisely and appointing a new international ambassador on the subject — weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The release of the 100-page report follows the worst hacking of U.S. government systems […]

Pakistan plays up, then plays down prime minister’s chummy call with Trump

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The morning papers were giddy with hyperbole on Thursday over the news that Donald Trump had spoken to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by phone a day earlier and showered compliments on a country he once accused of “betrayal and disrespect” — even offering to help the nuclear power solve its problems abroad. […]

Trump, Hillary, and the dangers of off the books intel sources

According to recent reports, President elect Donald Trump has been turning down the intelligence briefings that the intel community provides to incoming presidents to prepare them for the job.  Instead, Vice President elect Mike Pence is getting the intel briefings just about every day.  When questioned on the matter, Trump’s campaign manager said, “I can’t […]

Iranian vessel points weapon at U.S. helicopter: officials

A small Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard vessel pointed its weapon at a U.S. military helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, two U.S. defense officials told Reuters on Monday, an action they described as “unsafe and unprofessional.” The incident is the latest in a series of similar actions by Iranian vessels this year, but […]

Cubans worry about what comes next after Fidel Castro’s death

HAVANA — For the nearly five decades Fidel Castro ruled this country, he was a daily presence in Cubans’ lives. His speeches echoed on their televisions, and his harsh rules shaped almost every aspect of their existence. They woke up Saturday and found out he was gone. A numbness has set in here since. Few […]

Mattis, favored for SECDEF, ‘surprises’ Trump with waterboarding stance

Last Saturday, President Elect Donald Trump met with a number of prominent American officials as he continued to flesh out his cabinet appointments prior to taking office this coming January.  Among these meetings was one with retired Marine General James Mattis.  Mattis, a favorite among veterans, is being considered for the role of Secretary of […]

Ex-CIA boss Petraeus indicates would serve Trump if asked

Retired U.S. general David Petraeus indicated on Wednesday that he would serve in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration if he was offered a job, according to an interview on Britain’s BBC radio. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Petraeus, who resigned as CIA chief in 2012 after an extra-marital affair was revealed, was under consideration […]

Defense spending and alliances: Is Trump wrong about NATO?

Along the campaign trail, Donald Trump said a number of things that concerned prominent Democrats and foreign leaders. Some of these things can be chalked up to campaign rhetoric, but few of these remarks made the heads of foreign governments wiggle uncomfortably in their chairs more than his stance on NATO. In what would become […]

Russian President Putin says Trump confirmed willing to mend ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday U.S. President-elect Donald Trump confirmed to him he was willing to mend ties, though he also said he would welcome President Barack Obama in Russia. “The President-elect confirmed he is willing to normalize Russian-American relations. I told him the same. We did not discuss where and when we […]

Foreign Policy shakeup, will America work with Russia to fight ISIS?

First and foremost, no one really knows how American foreign policy is going to change over the next 12 months as the Trump administration enters the White House.  Staff members are still being selected, still have to be approved by Congress, and the Trump transition team is still figuring things out, sometimes as they learn […]