Many Americans have an odd fascination with the idea of the reforming autocrat, the strongman who can “modernize” and lead his nation out of its backward and benighted past. This was the hope for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, a hope now somewhat diminished by the hit he appears to have ordered […]
foreign policy
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
The US needs Saudi Arabia, and vice versa
After the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, there have been many calls for reexamining the U.S.-Saudi relationship, even for imposing sanctions. As an economist, I understand there are diplomatic fine points to this relationship that lie beyond my expertise, but still: It is worth reviewing the economic and exchange-based reasons why U.S.-Saudi relations have been so […]
advertisement
Posted inPerspective, sj-web
About Saudia Arabia
Area 2,149,690 sq km: All of it land, no water. Thus it’s mostly sandy desert. It’s about 1/5 the size of the United States. It has 2,640 km of coastline. People Population: 28,571,770 (July 2017) 37 percent are immigrants 83.8 percent are in urban areas Arabic is the official language Religion Muslim is the official […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Yes, the US sometimes supports warlords and dictators — so when should we stop?
“He may be an S.O.B., but he’s our S.O.B.” That maxim, sometimes attributed to President Franklin Roosevelt, has frequently served as a credo for U.S. foreign policy. During the Cold War, the United States made common cause with too many dictators to count. A partial list includes: Fulgencio Batista, Anastasio Somoza, Ferdinand Marcos, Mobutu Sese […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump's instinct in Korea crisis and elsewhere is 'go big'
WASHINGTON (AP) — The way President Donald Trump sees it, why go for a solid single when you can swing for a home run? Trump’s upcoming summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is only the latest example of the president’s go-big strategy. From tax reform to international trade to foreign policy, Trump has pursued […]
Posted inNation / World
U.S. launches missile strikes against Syria
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ordered a military attack against Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday, joining allies Britain and France in launching missile strikes in retaliation for what Western nations said was the deliberate gassing of Syrian civilians. The coordinated strike marked the second time in a year that Trump has used force against […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump looks for friendlier European welcome in Poland
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is headed back to Europe hoping to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite lingering skepticism across the continent over his commitment to NATO, his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decision to pull the U.S. out of a major climate agreement. Trump arrives in Warsaw, […]
Posted inOp-Eds
U.S. relations with Mexico, South Korea turn frosty
NEW YORK — There has been much focus on Donald Trump’s erratic foreign policy — the outlandish positions, the many flip-flops, the mistakes. But far more damaging in the long run might be what some have termed the Trump effect — the impact of Trump on the domestic politics of other countries. That effect appears […]
Posted inNation / World
Trump administration pressures Russia to drop Assad support
Officials in the Trump administration on Sunday demanded Russia stop supporting the Syrian government or face a further deterioration in its relations with the United States. Signaling the focus of talks Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will have in Moscow later this week, officials said Russia, in propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, bears at […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Robert Charles gives foreign policy talk in Wayne
WAYNE — Paths toward defeat of ISIL and its worldwide terrorist activity were suggested by Robert Charles, a former official under U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, at a community meeting at Cary Memorial Library’s Williams House in Wayne on Sunday afternoon. Mistakes that were made early in the Iraq War were seeds of the “toxic mix” of […]