North Korea and the GCC

by John Feffer North Korea has had a relatively short and somewhat complicated relationship with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In the period after the Korean War, when North and South Korea were engaged in a bout… Continue Reading

Political Backlash in the Gulf

by Henry Johnson If the United States seeks long-term stability in the Middle East, it must begin empowering opposition voices in the Gulf countries. A report published by Chatham House and presented at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace last… Continue Reading

In Search of a Strategy for the Middle East

by James Russell As suggested most recently by Stephen Walt, a regrettable and recurring theme of the Obama Administration’s foreign policy in the Gulf and the Middle East over the last four years has been the lack of any sense… Continue Reading

U.S. Escalation Against Iran Would Carry High Cost for Global Economy

via IPS News The world economy would bear substantial costs if the United States took steps to significantly escalate the conflict with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, according to the findings of a Federation of American Scientists’ (FAS) special… Continue Reading

Oil, Geo-Political Experts Say Attacking Iran Poses Huge Risks

As a bastion of foreign-policy realism, the Center for the National Interest (CNI), formerly the Nixon Center, is known around Washington for hosting very lively discussions among experts, and Friday’s session, entitled “War With Iran: Economic and Military Considerations”, was… Continue Reading