Syrian endgame: Diplomacy, for once, may be the only option

Syrian endgame: Diplomacy, for once, may be the only option

John J. Metzler PARIS — Spiraling sectarian violence, expanding regional destabilization, and the looming danger of proxy conflict between the United States and Russia, are among the dangers in the widening Syrian civil conflict which has taken over 93,000 lives. Equally an escalating humanitarian disaster continues to engulf a country where now approximately a third […]

Putin’s chess move in Syria, with an eye on the region at large

Putin’s chess move in Syria, with an eye on the region at large

Special to WorldTribune.com By Brian M Downing Shortly after Vladimir Putin and Secretary of State John Kerry agreed to seek a negotiated settlement to the Syrian civil war, the Russian president bolstered his support for the embattled Assad government. Putin announced an impending transfer of anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles to the Syrian military. It was […]

In the eye of a growing regional storm, Israel’s founding principles continue to serve it well

In the eye of a growing regional storm, Israel’s founding principles continue to serve it well

Special to WorldTribune.com By Norman Bailey A mere two and a half years ago the Middle East and North Africa were organized in the following categories: Democracies: Israel and Turkey Traditional monarchies: The gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Jordan Oman and Morocco Secular dictatorships: Yemen, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt and Syria, of which Libya and Syria […]

Forgotten then and unreported now: The bloodletting inspired by ‘Maoism’

Forgotten then and unreported now: The bloodletting inspired by ‘Maoism’

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, East-Asia-Intel.com NEW DELHI — The late “Great Leader” Kim Il-Sung no doubt drew upon the teachings of Mao Zedong when he formulated his philosophy of “juche” or self-reliance, but one word you never hear on visits to North Korea is “Maoism.” If North Korea recognizes Mao Zedong as an […]

Assad winning the war for Syrians’ hearts and minds

May 31, 2013 LONDON — After two years of civil war, support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad was said to have sharply increased. NATO has been studying data that told of a sharp rise in support for Assad. The data, compiled by Western-sponsored activists and organizations, showed that a majority of Syrians […]

Russian Pacific Fleet enters the Mediterranean in challenge to West

Russian Pacific Fleet enters the Mediterranean in challenge to West

Special to WorldTribune.com Compiled by Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com For the first time in a decade, a large combat fleet from Russia’s Pacific Fleet based in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East is joining other Russian warships in the Mediterranean on a combat patrol. The mission was apparently prompted by Russia’s determined desire to sustain the […]

Woe is not us: From one new energy revolution (shale gas) to another (fire ice)

Woe is not us: From one new energy revolution (shale gas) to another (fire ice)

Sol W. Sanders   As the shale gas revolution begins to ripple through, reordering the world economy, another fossil fuel revolution is in the offing which will again torpedo most conventional wisdom concerning energy. So-called “peak oil”, the end of petroleum exhausted by expanding consumption and diminishing discoveries, the love story of environmental fanatics, has […]

Israeli Air Force chief warns a multi-front war could be imminent

Israeli Air Force chief warns a multi-front war could be imminent

Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel issued one of the starkest warnings of an imminent war that could include Hizbullah and Syria. In an address to a combat air conference, Eshel said Israel, already engaged in a shooting war with Syria, faces a range of low- and […]

Bombshell in the Benghazi e-mails: The CIA warned of impending jihadist attack

Bombshell in the Benghazi e-mails: The CIA warned of impending jihadist attack

Special to WorldTribune.com By Grace Vuoto The White House recently released more than 100 pages of e-mails between the CIA, State Department and the White House regarding the now infamous talking points. President Barack Obama insists “there is no there, there,” as he stated during a May 13 press conference. Yet, the opposite is true. […]

Creative diplomacy needed as conflict in Syria threatens its neighbors

Creative diplomacy needed as conflict in Syria threatens its neighbors

John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Decrying a rising death toll and an escalation of violence, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly called yet again for progress towards a political transition to defuse Syria’s civil war, now in its third year. Though the resolution strongly condemns the Syrian government of Bashar Assad for its increased use […]