Who Will Rule Trump Foreign Policy?

by Jim Lobe The most frightening commentary I’ve read in the run-up to the inauguration—and there have been many—appeared in a column identifying the four people whose foreign policy ideas were likely to be most influential with the then-president-elect. It… Continue Reading

The Far Right’s Obsession with Iran

by Eldar Mamedov In his inauguration speech, President Donald Trump vowed to eradicate “radical Islamic terrorism” from the “face of earth.” His top lieutenants have identified the targets of this effort. Rex Tillerson, in his confirmation testimony for secretary of… Continue Reading

Trump and the Return of Private Military Contractors

by David Isenberg In 2005 the Marine Corps University published a paper entitled “The Professional Military Services Industry: Have We Created a New Military-Industrial Complex?” To consider that question now, more than a decade later, is the equivalent of asking… Continue Reading

Poll: Nearly 2/3 of U.S. Public Opposes Withdrawing from Iran Nuclear Deal

by Jim Lobe Amid growing speculation about a Trump administration’s intentions regarding the Iran nuclear deal, a new poll has found that nearly two-thirds of the U.S. public opposes withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated 18… Continue Reading

What Trump Means for U.S.-Bahrain Relations

by Jesse Schatz and Giorgio Cafiero Since Bahrain’s “Arab Spring” uprising erupted almost six years ago, Western governments and commentators have both criticized Manama’s crackdown on Shi’ite dissent and expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for reform. In Washington and… Continue Reading