Saudi Arabia and the United States: Elections Don’t Matter
Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo’s January 24, 2016 piece in the The New York Times is a great primer for anyone who believes the next U.S. President will take anti-Saudi action … Continue reading
United States: Delaying Implementation of IMF Requested Financial Transparency Regulation
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has blamed the United States for not implementing regulations that would stop the use of shell and front companies as recommended by the Financial Action … Continue reading
Greece: The Eurozone is Better Off Without
Greece continues to test the patience of the eurozone and I cannot find any objective reason why it should remain a part of the European Union (EU). It’s never a … Continue reading
Terrorism: ISIS and the Marketing Proposition
Everyday brings a new story on how ISIS has plunged into previously uncharted depths of depravity. It’s obvious that things have got out of hand when that bastion of credible … Continue reading
Afghanistan: Exchange for Sgt Bergdahl Sets Up More Kidnappings
Over the past few decades, US foreign defense policy has lurched from one self-made disaster to another; the most recent example is the exchange of five Taliban commanders who had … Continue reading
Nigeria: Endgame for Boko Haram is Status Quo
Boko Haram (BH), the Nigerian militant group that has been on the radar of the world’s intelligence agencies for some time, dramatically increased it’s recently by kidnapping over 200 girls … Continue reading
Pakistan and Iran: Gas Pipeline Fallacy Continues
During last week’s meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Iranian President Hasan Rowhani, the two leaders trumpeted their efforts to restart the stalled Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. Sharif stated … Continue reading
Pakistan: “Dynamic” Officer Killed, Taliban Claim Responsibility, Citizens Continue to Suffer, Nothing Changes
Muhammad Aslam Khan, also known as Chaudhry Aslam, the Superintendent Police (SP) of Karachi Police’s Central Investigation Department (CID) was killed on January 9, 2014 in Karachi, Pakistan. While it’s … Continue reading
Egypt: Military’s Actions Supported or Ignored
Every day brings new reports of how a resurgent Egyptian government – staffed by the country’s armed forces – is stomping on those who it deems to be an undesirable … Continue reading
Middle East: To Parent or Guide is the Question
A few days ago, I wrote a post recommending the United States use its ever decreasing influence in the Middle East to develop a coalition of regional powers to counter … Continue reading
All Sorts of Things 