Home » Geopolitics (Page 332)
Category Archives: Geopolitics
How Obama Enables Atrocities
How Obama Enables Atrocities Exclusive: President Obama seems so scared of offending the Saudis and their Israeli allies that he will tolerate almost any outrage, including Saudi Arabia’s mass beheadings and/or shootings of the regime’s enemies including a Shiite political leader who dared criticize the monarchy, writes Robert Parry. As the New Year dawns, the neocons and […]
Can the UK Survive Brexit?
Can the UK Survive Brexit? LONDON – The upcoming referendum on the United Kingdom’s continued membership in the European Union, almost certain to be held this year, could turn out to be yet another major catastrophe to hit Europe. If, as seems increasingly plausible, British voters chose to leave, the result would be a profoundly […]
The American Empire: Murder Inc.
The American Empire: Murder Inc. As Indonesia’s former President Suharto lay ill in 2008, a supporter displayed a portrait of him outside the Jakarta hospital where the military dictator died two weeks later. It was in Suharto’s brutal three-decade reign that Indonesia invaded East Timor, where investigative journalist Allan Nairn covered atrocities the general’s […]
2016 Theme #2: the Hollow Shell of Democracy
2016 Theme #2: the Hollow Shell of Democracy This week I am addressing themes I see playing out in 2016. A number of systemic, structural forces are intersecting in 2016. One is the hollowing out of democracy globally. Democracy has three distinct states of being: formal, in actual practice and informal. Nations that claim the mantle […]
Saudi Arabia’s Gruesome Provocation
Saudi Arabia’s Gruesome Provocation Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent political leader of the monarchy’s Shiite minority has worsened Mideast tensions and is forcing the Obama administration to decide if there are any limits to the outrages that the longtime U.S. “ally” may commit, as Trita Parsi explains. There should be little doubt that Saudi Arabia wanted […]
The Europe Question in 2016
The Europe Question in 2016 NEW YORK – At the cusp of the new year, we face a world in which geopolitical and geo-economic risks are multiplying. Most of the Middle East is ablaze, stoking speculation that a long Sunni-Shia war (like Europe’s Thirty Years’ War between Catholics and Protestants) could be at hand. China’s […]
From Baghdad to Bahrain…From Beruit to Tehran – Tensions Are Exploding Across the Middle East
From Baghdad to Bahrain…From Beruit to Tehran – Tensions Are Exploding Across the Middle East Either the rebel prince succeeds in convincing enough people who matter to remove the King, or the King counters and drives the prince out. The former situation is far and away the best option for stability in the Middle East, […]
After Executing Regime Critic, Saudi Arabia Fires Up American PR Machine
After Executing Regime Critic, Saudi Arabia Fires Up American PR Machine Saudi Arabia’s well-funded public relations apparatus moved quickly after Saturday’s explosive execution of Shiite political dissident Nimr al-Nimr to shape how the news is covered in the United States. The execution led protestors in Shiite-run Iran to set fire to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, precipitating a major […]
2016 Theme #1: The Loss of Great Power Leverage
2016 Theme #1: The Loss of Great Power Leverage This week I am addressing themes I see playing out in 2016. A number of systemic, structural forces are intersecting in 2016. One is the decline of Great Power leverage. Once a nation’s civil society–broadly speaking, the institutions of social cohesion–has been shredded so that power […]
It’s On: Saudis Sever Diplomatic Ties With Iran, Will Confront Iranian “Hostility”
It’s On: Saudis Sever Diplomatic Ties With Iran, Will Confront Iranian “Hostility” Earlier today, as Iranian police struggled to disperse protesters gathered outside the Saudi consulate in Mashhad, we said the following about the rapidly deteriorating situation: If crude needed an excuse to rally, then surely this is it as it now appears that in addition to […]
Oil Spike Risk: Iran Police Use Water Cannon On Angry Protesters Near Saudi Consulate
Oil Spike Risk: Iran Police Use Water Cannon On Angry Protesters Near Saudi Consulate Despite official pleas for “calm” following the death of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, Iranians are in no mood to stand down. Perhaps the Ayatollah’s calls for “divine vengeance” have incited a riot or perhaps the Shiite world has simply had […]
America’s Vampire Aristocracy
America’s Vampire Aristocracy On January 2nd, America’s NBC News bannered “Arab Spring Cleric Nimr al-Nimr Among 47 Executed by Saudi Arabia,” and, one-third of the way into their report, showed this tweet: “Saudi execution of Nimr al-Nimr along w/ al Qaeda members is straight from Assad’s playbook – lumping nonviolent activists with terrorists. — DavidKenner (@DavidKenner) January […]
Hearing the Russian Perspective
Hearing the Russian Perspective The neocons and liberal hawks who dominate the U.S. foreign policy and media establishment are pushing the world toward a nuclear showdown with Russia as few people hear a comprehensive response from the other side, an imbalance that a new Russian documentary addresses, writes Gilbert Doctorow. By Gilbert Doctorow Without mincing […]
Sunni & Shia Tensions Rise in Middle East
Sunni & Shia Tensions Rise in Middle East Protesters stormed and ransacked Saudi Arabia’s embassy on Sunday after gathering to denounce the kingdom for executing a prominent Shia cleric. They stormed the embassy, smashed furniture, setting the embassy on fire, and threw papers from the roof. They were eventually cleared away by the police, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported. On Saturday, Saudi […]
ISIS: The ‘Enemy’ the US Created, Armed, and Funded
ISIS: The ‘Enemy’ the US Created, Armed, and Funded To delve into Daesh’s convoluted money trail, one must first explore its equally convoluted origins. And in both areas, the role of the U.S. and its allies can not be ignored. (MINTPRESS) Out of nowhere, it seems, Daesh, also commonly referred to as ISIL or ISIS, spontaneously […]
