Yesterday’s peripheral partnerships are today’s rivalries. The post Israel Runs the Iran Playbook on Turkey appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs Israel Runs the Iran Playbook on Turkey Yesterday’s peripheral partnerships are today’s rivalries. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images) One of the stranger geopolitical developments in the Middle East of late (leaving aside the present war) has been the rupture between Israel and Turkey. A war of words has turned into something resembling a full diplomatic spat, with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing Turkey’s regional aspirations as “aggressive” and other high officials even advocating for the country’s removal from NATO. Most worrying, considering the conflict…Open
A new way of understanding America’s enemies obscures more than it reveals. The post The Problem With Third Worldism appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs The Problem With Third Worldism A new way of understanding America’s enemies obscures more than it reveals. Remember Islamofascism? For many neocons at the height of the War on Terror, this was the term of choice to describe America’s enemies. Compared to the alternatives, the label had much to recommend it. As William Safire noted in the New York Times in 2006: Islamic radicalism seems long, bookish and weak, because a radical need not be any kind of terrorist…[and] militant jihadist is redundant if you take jihad to mean “holy war.” Plus some Muslim scholars translate the Arabic word as “spiritual…Open
Who looks like a winner here? The post Trump’s Visit to China Emphasizes American Strategic Weakness appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs Trump’s Visit to China Emphasizes American Strategic Weakness Who looks like a winner here? When Donald Trump exploded into national politics a decade ago, he had two characteristic policies: the Wall, that is to say, immigration enforcement; and “China, China, China,” that is to say, reorienting American relations with a large, ambitious, and increasingly wealthy and powerful competitor. Few would say that the first Trump administration was a total success, but at the level of theory there was a certain coherence to it. On the China side of things, Elbridge Colby articulated the line of thought in the 2018 National Defense Strategy and his book-length…Open
On this episode of "On Balance": Leland Vittert explores the war in Iran and how President Trump is refusing to back down, rejecting a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz and shutting down nuclear talks. This comes as Iran braces for mass protests, and Defense Secretary Hegseth expresses frustration with Congress. Washington Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Michael Singh of The Washington Institute join to talk about the next phases of the war. Meanwhile, Republicans missed a chance to call out the left for their dangerous rhetoric, choosing to instead focus on the White House ballroom, putting Trump on U.S. passports, and targeting James Comey and Jimmy Kimmel. Mollie Hemingway,…
The U.S. is unlikely to win on maximalist terms. The post How Will the Iran War End? appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs How Will the Iran War End? The U.S. is unlikely to win on maximalist terms. (Photo by Tauseef MUSTAFA / AFP via Getty Images) “Tell me how this ends,” a young General David Petraeus asked early in the Iraq War, after Saddam Hussein’s army had largely been defeated. The United States is extraordinarily good at the first half of wars and far less capable in the second. So how does this one with Iran end? The Gulf War was fought on mostly contrived grounds. Saddam thrived in power in Iraq in part due to U.S. support; he certainly survived the 1980s Iran–Iraq War due to behind-the-scenes U.S.…Open
Breakfast meetings, happy hours and group chats across Washington are abuzz with the same question: Who gets axed next? The big picture: The ousters this month of U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George , alongside two other service leaders, have intensified Pentagon palace intrigue. - The nerves are particularly charged inside the building. Driving the news: At least 15 defense officials have abruptly left or been pushed out of their jobs under Trump 2.0. - The exits, civilian and uniform, are the results of clashing politics, policies and personalities. What they're saying: "There's a lot of confusion and head-shaking," an administration official told Axios, describing the vibe this week. - "It…
U.S. belligerence is driving Russia and the Global South closer to China. The post How the Iran War Makes China Look Good appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs How the Iran War Makes China Look Good U.S. belligerence is driving Russia and the Global South closer to China. There are no winners in the war on Iran. But if there were one, it would surely be China. Contrary to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s fawning remarks , “the whole world” is neither “safer” nor better for President Donald Trump’s decision to launch an illegal war on Iran. As the U.S. knows , Iran was not in pursuit of a nuclear bomb . Nor were its ballistic missiles intended for, or ever used for, offensive first strikes. The foundation of international trust has cracked, and partnerships…Open
President JD Vance says the gaps that exist between the U.S. and Iran are too wide to bridge, after the two countries failed to reach an agreement on how to end the war Saturday. Despite no deal being made, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister says it is “imperative” that the U.S. and Iran uphold the ceasefire. NewsNation’s Robert Sherman joins “Morning in America with Hena Doba” with the latest from Tel Aviv. Start your day with "Morning in America," NewsNation's live three-hour national weekend morning newscast hosted by Hena Doba. Saturday and Sunday starting at 7a/6C. #MorningInAmerica NewsNation is your source for fact-based, unbiased news for all Americans.
The final hegemonic war in the Middle East is coming, and preparations are being made to drag America into it. The post After Iran, It’s Turkey appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs After Iran, It’s Turkey The final hegemonic war in the Middle East is coming, and preparations are being made to drag America into it. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images) One puzzle historians have to grapple with is the causality of the Second World War and the timing of British involvement. Britain had far stronger commitments to Denmark in 1864, or Belgium in 1914, than it had with Poland in 1939. Czechoslovakia was a liberal democratic power, much closely aligned with Britain, than a reactionary Catholic Poland with increasing ethnic enmity with both Germany and Russia. Yet it wasn’t the…Open
