Many hawks in Washington are wondering why the United States hasn’t already responded with military force against Iran in the Middle East. The Iranians are increasingly bellicose in Syria and in the Persian Gulf. They’ve seized oil tankers and sabotaged others with… [Read more…]
Invade Iran? Not any time soon
Many hawks in Washington are wondering why the United States hasn’t already responded with military force against Iran in the Middle East. The Iranians are increasingly bellicose in Syria and in the Persian Gulf. They’ve seized oil tankers and sabotaged others with mines in international waters. Most importantly, they’ve openly violated the uranium enrichment and storage … [Read more…]
Argentina cracks down on Hezbollah, but its neighbors must do the same
On Saturday July 13th, the President of Argentina Mauricio Macri said his country is “moving forward” to declare the armed Lebanese group Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Macri announced this in an interview with CNN Español. Hezbollah is based in Lebanon but is an Iranian proxy, and is long suspected of carrying out two deadly terrorist acts in Argentina: the 1992 attack … [Read more…]
Latvian and Polish troops train for the ‘stay-behind’ mission in the event of a Russian invasion
Soldiers from Latvia and Poland recently wrapped up the "Ridge Runner" training exercise in West Virginia which partnered them with American military forces to train in unconventional warfare. The training prepares these Eastern European soldiers for what was once known as the "stay-behind" mission, in the event Russia invaded their countries with conventional or irregular … [Read more…]
Op-Ed: The Sea-Watch 3 affair and her lady captain—hero or criminal?
These days, the front pages of European newspapers are telling the story of the Sea-Watch 3 and its captain, a 31-year-old German woman, Carola Rackete. After two weeks off the island of Lampedusa, the non-governmental organization (NGO) rescue ship, flying the Dutch flag, forced through the blockade imposed by Italian authorities, causing an accident – fortunately without … [Read more…]
Trump: 10 minutes away from war with Iran
The New York Times and Newsweek have both reported that President Trump ordered retaliatory strikes against Iran for their downing of a Global Hawk drone over international airspace in the Persian Gulf. Trump confirmed this via Twitter, writing: We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights [sic] when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was … [Read more…]
Op-Ed: Iran situation goes from bad to worse
Iran shot down an American drone on Thursday, supposedly over international waters, which the United States deemed an “unprovoked attack” in the Strait of Hormuz. It's a further escalation of rising conflict between these countries. In the aftermath, an American reprisal airstrike against Iranian missile defense systems was first approved, then canceled, by President Trump. … [Read more…]
Grey zone conflict: How Iran is using Russia’s playbook to defuse America’s military might
On Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded to news of new American troop deployments to the Middle East with measured words. Despite rising tensions between the United States and Tehran and a history of fiery rhetoric from Iranian officials, Rouhani adopted an almost victim-like posture. Iran will not wage war against any nation,” Rouhani said in a live TV … [Read more…]
Op-Ed: Will Italy’s Matteo Salvini cater Trump’s favor for political gain?
It's possible that in the next few days, Matteo Salvini—Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior—will land in the United States to achieve Donald Trump’s favor. For his election campaign, the leader of the Italian League was inspired by the American president motto “America First”, replacing it with “Italy First.” But who is Matteo Salvini? Currently, the … [Read more…]
China eyes Colombian waters for illegal fishing as U.S. announces deployment of hospital ship to the region
As fish stocks in the South China Sea continue to wane, China is increasing its illegal fishing activity off the coast of Colombia. Officials observing maritime activity in the waters near Malpelo Island report an increase of foreign-flagged vessels taking advantage of the plentiful fishing in Colombia's reserved zone. Nearly 250 foreign ships were spotted in the area during … [Read more…]
SpongeBob and America’s lost war in Afghanistan
Three thousand Americans lost their lives in the attacks on 9/11. More than 23,000 Americans have been killed or wounded in the Afghanistan conflict. It's simple math. The war in Afghanistan has resulted in a terrible loss of American life, robbing us of some of our greatest and brightest. For what? To nation build? When I deployed to Afghanistan, our mission was simple: … [Read more…]
North Korea’s new “tactical guided weapon” test likely had nothing to do with nuclear arsenal
Amid concerns about the status of ongoing high-level talks between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, the reclusive country announced late Wednesday that it successfully tested a new "tactical guided weapon." The report, which was first published by North Korea's state-owned KCNA, offered few details. However, despite a flurry of headlines … [Read more…]
US Marine veteran arrested in connection with raid on North Korean embassy in Spain
On Friday, U.S. officials announced the arrest of Christopher Ahn, a U.S. Marine veteran implicated in the raid of the North Korean embassy in Madrid this past February. During the raid, embassy staff were restrained, with some reported to have been beaten, before the 10-person group left with a variety of stolen electronics, including computers and cell phones. Ahn was … [Read more…]