The commencement of the lame duck period of the Donald Trump presidency is marked by the departure of two high-ranking officials of the US state department in the last two days. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a surprise announcement on Thursday that the US Special Representative for Iran Brian […]
Tag: Mike Pompeo
Belarus: Scramble For Heart Of Europe
The Secretary of State in the George W. Bush administration Condoleeza Rice once described Belarus as “the last true remaining dictatorship in the heart of Europe.” She held out the assurance that it was “time for change to come to Belarus.” That was during her visit to next-door Lithuania in […]
Australia, the US and the AUSMIN Talks
The Satrap Chronicles of the US imperium will have, near the top of their various ingratiating themes, such Australian politicians as Senators Linda Reynolds and Marise Payne. They resemble Siamese consuls, hard to tell apart (robust build, similar of voice and manner). For another, their views form the putty of […]
Australia ‘Decouples’ From US China Policy
The Asian chancelleries have a great deal to mull over after the extraordinary joint press conference by the US and Australia following the AUSMIN meeting of their foreign and defence ministers in Washington, DC, on July 28. It is improbable that the Ministry of External Affairs in South Block missed […]
Revisions On China: Abandoning The Nixon Legacy
There is little doubt about it. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the puffed-up hawk of the Trump administration, talons at the ready, beak protruding. While the president coos at the prospect of seeing, or admiring, the next strongman of international relations, Pompeo hovers over selected authoritarian targets. This […]
Russian Bounty Killing Forces Trump’s Hands On Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan
As expected, the controversy over Russia’s alleged bounties for killing American and NATO troops in Afghanistan is steadily snowballing. The New York Times has come out with more leaks such as bank transfers from accounts identified with the Russian military intelligence to the Taliban, “hawala” transactions as well as the […]
Trump Adapts US Energy Strategy
While most people are absorbed by the time-distribution measures of the epidemic, the Saudis are questioning the power of their American protector. A showdown between Riyadh and Washington, which was already disrupting the world economy before the spread of Covid-19. President Trump considered taking control of Saudi and Venezuelan oil, which apparently led him to forge new alliances.
Munich Security Conference 2020: Wang Yi vs. Mike Pompeo
The Chinese Foreign Minister and American Secretary of State shared contrasting visions of International Relations during their keynotes speeches at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend. Mike Pompeo preached that “the West is winning“, and by the “West”, he elaborated that he means “any nation that adopts a model […]
Moscow Pips Pompeo At The Syrian Post
The capture of the town of Maarat al-Numan in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib bordering Turkey on Wednesday by the government forces must be counted as the first ‘new facts on the ground’ since the murder of Qassem Soleimani twenty-five days ago. The salience is that the military operation against […]
US-India: Why 2+2 May Not Always Be 4
To what extent External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s cancellation at the last minute of the scheduled meeting on Thursday with a Congressional panel in Washington, DC, was with an eye on Nagpur one doesn’t know. He is an ambitious media savvy politician with an IQ by far higher than of anyone […]
US Primes NATO To Confront Russia, China
The December 3-4 summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in London resembles a family reunion after the acrimony over the issue of military spending by America’s European allies. The trend is up for defence spending across European Allies and Canada. Over $100 billion is expected to be added […]
Bolton’s Exit Impacts US Foreign Policy
Bolton’s departure from the White House will enhance the flexibility of the US foreign policy. As Senator Rand Paul put it, “the threat of war worldwide goes down exponentially.” We may expect the White House to put more emphasis on diplomacy. The one country that will regret Trump’s decision for sure will be Israel. Bolton was Israel’s “Trojan horse” in the White House.
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