Washington’s Twenty-First-Century Opium Wars

by Alfred W. McCoy After fighting the longest war in its history, the United States stands at the brink of defeat in Afghanistan. How can this be possible? How could the world’s sole superpower have battled continuously for 15 years,… Continue Reading →

Iran as Regional Catalyst

by Shireen T. Hunter The relative thaw in Iran’s economic and political relations with Europe and Japan, and the improvement in its economic prospects, has thus far been received with a degree of anxiety by other major regional players such… Continue Reading →

Why the Islamic State Is the Minor Leagues of Terror

by Tom Engelhardt It’s time to panic! As 2015 ended, this country was certifiably terror-stricken. It had the Islamic State (IS) on the brain. Hoax terror threats or terror imbroglios shut down school systems from Los Angeles to New Hampshire, Indiana… Continue Reading →

Will Russia and Iran Finally Tie the Knot?

by Shireen Hunter Despite its slogan of “Neither East Nor West, only Islamic Republic” and its labeling of the USSR as the “little Satan,” the Islamic Republic of Iran from its very early days viewed the USSR and the other… Continue Reading →