Superpower Conflicts Are Driving Tensions in the South China Sea

by Walden Bello The Philippines would seem to have won a major victory against China in a recent international court ruling in the Hague, which voided Chinese claims to parts of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines and… Continue Reading

Mutual Interests Could Aid U.S.-Iran Détente

by Jasmin Ramsey via IPS News In the wake of a renewed diplomatic push on the Iranian nuclear front, shared interests in Iran’s backyard could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to work toward overcoming decades of hostility. “I… Continue Reading

Use of CW in Syria: A View from London

by Peter Jenkins For the last week the British government has given every sign of being in a dreadful muddle over how to react to the suspicion that chemical weapons (CW) were used in the suburbs of Damascus early on… Continue Reading

Gen. Martin Dempsey chided for calling Iran “rational”

Recent comments about Iran by the top-ranking military officer in the US have been criticized by Israel and some Washington-based voices. On Sunday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that he’s been “confronting” the question of whether… Continue Reading

Slavin: Israeli pressure results in “unprecedented” EU sanctions against Iran

Frequent IPS News contributor Barbara Slavin writes: The decision Monday by the European Union to phase out purchases of Iranian oil by Jul. 1 is timed to U.S. legislation that has the same deadline for sanctions against foreign banks that… Continue Reading