Section: The Huffington Post (USA)
If Putin Wants to Stoke Chaos and Discord in the West, Trump Is His Man
SPLIT, Croatia — When the news broke last week that it was all but certain that the Democratic National Committee’s email had been hacked by Russia, it was surprising to me that anyone was remotely skeptical that Vladimir Putin’s regime would do such a thing. Putin has been investing heavily in the military, propaganda and...
Russia Has Armenian Leader’s Back in Police-Station Stand-Off — or Does It?
Image: This poster is circulating virally on Armenian social media. Journalist and human rights defender Levon Barseghian was recently arrested after criticizing the authorities during the ongoing Erebuni protests in Armenia. YEREVAN, Armenia — When I learned that armed men had occupied a police station in Armenia on July 17 to demand the...
Combating the Global Menace of Corruption through Fiscal Transparency
As the United States works to promote global economic growth and stability, it is clear that poor governance and persistent corruption around the world present serious obstacles. In a May article by former Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and retired Admiral Michael Mullen, corruption represents “a menace to development, human...
Russia Bolsters Military On Southwestern Flank Amid NATO Buildup
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has strengthened its southwestern flank as NATO builds up its military presence and Ukraine remains unstable, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday in remarks the United States called contrary to efforts to lower tensions.Moscow has deployed more air defense systems in the southwest and has also...
America’s Feel-Good Sanctions Policy toward North Korea
Dealing with North Korea brings to mind Sisyphus, the mythological Greek king condemned for eternity to roll a stone up a hill, only to watch it roll back down. Whatever the U.S. does, Kim Jong-un again will fire missiles, test nukes, and threaten to lay waste to his enemies. Now the Obama administration has applied sanctions to him personally,...
Is Donald Trump Carrying Putin’s Baby?
Is Donald Trump carrying Vladimir Putin’s baby? This is not a headline from The National Enquirer (a newspaper that Trump himself has deemed worthy of respect), but if recent chatter on The Daily Beast, Slate, The New York Times, and The Washington Post suggest, there must be some “experts” out there who could assure me that a...
Trump Used To Say He Was Pals With Putin. Now He Says They Never Met.
PHILADELPHIA ― After months of claiming a close relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump now says he doesn’t really know him at all.“I never met Putin. I don’t know who Putin is,” the Republican presidential nominee said Wednesday at a Florida news conference. “He said one nice thing about me. He said I’m a...
A Night On The Streets With Madrid’s Homeless
MADRID, Spain ― Day and night, Madrid’s streets are sprinkled with homeless people. Many of them spend their nights outside supermarkets, tobacco shops, churches or other institutions, with only cardboard for mattresses. Passers-by sometimes acknowledge the homeless with spare pocket change; other times, they just keep walking.Homelessness...
Armenian Stand-Off Continues to be Tense and Dangerous
Image: Ethnic Armenians have been protesting in and out of the country in recent years. This sign at a Los Angeles rally refers to many Armenians’ belief that Russia interferes in their country’s affairs. (Twitter: @S_Zoppellaro) Lines are hardening in the stand-off between Armenian authorities and supporters of a jailed fringe...
There’s No Business Like The Arms Business
Weapons ‘R’ Us (But You’d Never Know It) Cross-posted with TomDispatch.comWhen American firms dominate a global market worth more than $70 billion a year, you’d expect to hear about it. Not so with the global arms trade. It’s good for one or two stories a year in the mainstream media, usually when the annual...
