Stuart Lyle Although the US has offered unwavering support for Israel, there is a pattern to Israel’s external economic and political relations that is clearly not in the interests of the US. A recent article in the Intercept details Israel’s complex relationship with Putin’s Russia, including supplying drone technology used to help in Russia’s drive…
Richard Silverstein Events in the Gulf are unfolding so quickly and ominously that it’s impossible to keep up. They could easily spiral out of control. You might go to sleep at night to a region at peace and wake up the next morning to countries aflame. In the midst of this swirl of events, it’s…
Stuart Lyle What if Russian interference in the US elections really is not as cunning and sophisticated as it has been portrayed in the media? And all the Facebook advertising and black ops were just blundering attempts to further the success of now-entrenched Russian kleptocracy? That’s the thesis behind Masha Gessen’s recent article in The…
Intro by b. traven Bill Clinton, that paragon of marital fidelity, could not wait when he was president to rush to Richard Nixon’s funeral to pay his respect to the man who was drummed from the of Presidency for his alleged crimes and misdemeanors while in office. Clinton has now, in concert with his equally…
Our European correspondent explores Trump Fatigue. Alex Dunn Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. Can you remember when many left-leaning observers considered that George W. Bush was the worst president in living memory? Every couple of months, the “misunderestimated” President would assault the English language and we would all chuckle? The War on Terror…
Julian Assange is a divisive figure. He’s been cheered and then reviled by progressives over the course of the last five years. Like the ACLU’s effort to defend the Nazi march in Skokie IL in the late 70s, Peter Van Buren sees past Assange’s feud with Hillary Clinton and his intent to hurt her presidential…
Peter Van Buren, who had a ‘catbird’ seat’ as a State Department leader of an FOB (forward operating base) during the Iraq war, shares his analysis of the torturous road American foreign policy took to finally hand over control of Iraq to Iran-friendly Shiite politicians. Along the way they succeeded in helping to create ISIS…
Richard Silverstein OK. So you have the Iranians getting nuclear plants, technology, and uranium enrichment expertise from the Russians. As a result, some fear the Iranians may be using these as components of a nuclear program to develop nuclear weapons. You have these same people warning that if Iran gets nuclear weapons that the Saudis…
In the final instalment of Richard Silverstein’s exploration of the massive changes going in the Middle East, he looks at just how effective Russia has been in filling the gap left by the United States. – Ed. Richard Silverstein The Russia factor It’s unclear how the Saudis believes he will force a much larger and…
In Part II of his analysis, Richard Silverstein explores the dangerous coalition of Israel under Netanyahu with Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Salmon. Both seek to diminish Shiite Iran’s influence in the Middle East, and both are ready to bring financial and military pressure on Lebanon, Syria, and if need be, on Iraq, to assert…
The Contrary Perspective 