Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The United States has ruled out the capture of Syria’s chemical weapons facilities amid reports of non-conventional attacks by the regime of President Bashar Assad. Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama has told Congress that the prospect of U.S. military intervention was unlikely to stop Assad’s CW operations […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, East-Asia-Intel.com Amid much fanfare, North Korea has advanced to the brink of the dreaded Second Korean War. Now the question is whether there’s a face-saving way to bring about dialogue. Can’t North Korea, at some stage, declare a rhetorical victory and go into negotiations? U.S. Secretary of State John […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Parris H. Chang In diplomacy, an inch can be longer than a foot, and the weak can wield greater leverage over the strong. This is why North Korea, a rogue state, impoverished and vulnerable is able to irritate, bully and even threaten the two superpowers, the U.S. and China. For many […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — The United States has agreed to allow Turkey’s participation in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, including developing the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. U.S. and Turkish officials said Washington would enable Ankara to support and intervene in Israeli talks with the Palestinian Authority. They said the effort would include Turkish efforts to woo the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Gregory R. Copley, Global Information System/Defense & Foreign Affairs Events in, and linked to, the Eastern Mediterranean continued to be the strategic dynamic of global affairs during March 2013 and beyond. Even developments — seemingly moving toward war as far as Western public perceptions were concerned — on the Korean Peninsula were […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The United States has been using the Sunni revolt in Syria as a lever in nuclear talks with Iran. Western diplomatic sources said the administration of President Barack Obama has proposed a settlement in which Teheran would retain influence in Syria as part of a so-called grand bargain that would […]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — All of Syria’s five neighboring countries sensed a quiet pleasure in seeing the rebellion against the Damascus dictatorship start two years ago. Many observers, knowing the authoritarian political pedigree of the Assad family rule, probably assumed Syria’s entrenched but moribund political system would be swept away by the winds […]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Egypt has sought additional military aid from the United States. Officials said the Islamist regime of President Mohammed Morsi has relayed a request for a significant increase in U.S. military assistance over the next year. They said Morsi and his military commanders have argued that the annual U.S. aid of […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Willy Lam is traveling. The Chinese government has long convinced itself that the best time to achieve parity of power with the U.S. is when the only “hegemon” of the world is geopolitically entangled in quagmires far from East Asia. So when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proposed […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The administration of President Barack Obama could reduce military aid to Middle East allies. Officials said the Defense Department would be forced to slash $46 billion from its fiscal 2013 budget, which went into effect on March 1. The officials said the cut, called sequestration, would include $300 million from […]