Iraq’s Artifacts of Exile

by John Feffer In the initial aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, looters swept through the National Museum in Baghdad and carted off 15,000 items of incalculable value. Some of these items were destroyed in the attempt to spirit… Continue Reading

Turkey’s Plan to Expand Its Periphery

by Robert Olson On March 29, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu caused quite a stir during a visit to Jordan where he stated, “Turkey’s security zone starts from Latakia and passes through Aleppo, Mosul and Sulaimani (Sulaymaniya).” This confirmed that Turkey intends to expand its regional geopolitical and… Continue Reading

Rehabilitating Yemen

by James Spencer After two false-starts, and sub-rosa talks between the Saudis and the Houthis, the UN-led peace process in Yemen may be back on track. When a peace is finally made—currently still in the balance, since both sides seem to believe that they can still… Continue Reading

The End of the American Empire

by Chas W. Freeman, Jr. I’m here to talk about the end of the American empire. But before I do I want to note that one of our most charming characteristics as Americans is our amnesia. I mean, we are so… Continue Reading

Opaque Strategy and U.S. Troops in Eastern Europe

by Paul R. Pillar  U.S. military deployments to Eastern Europe are being ramped up. The latest word as reported by the Wall Street Journal is that regular rotation of brigade-size forces, with the most modern equipment, will bring a de facto… Continue Reading