World Jan 06 Iranians unite to mourn military icon Qassem Soleimani Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets Monday to mourn Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike Friday. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led funeral prayers and wept over Soleimani's body. But the fallout…
World Jan 03 Who was Qassem Soleimani, and what does his death mean for Iran -- and the U.S.? Qassem Soleimani was the Middle East's most recognized military commander, strategist and operational chief of Iran's militant proxies and a symbol of its regional ambitions. He was killed in a targeted U.S. drone attack Friday at Baghdad’s international airport. Nick…
World Jan 03 Why the U.S. military targeted Qassam Soleimani -- and how Iran might react How is Iran likely to react to the American military strike that killed top general Qassem Soleimani -- and how well prepared is the U.S. to withstand that response? Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and retired…
World Jan 01 Crisis at U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is over, but tensions remain After the most significant standoff outside a U.S. Embassy in years, demonstrators in Baghdad stood down on Wednesday -- but they also declared victory. Sarkawt Shams, a member of the Iraqi parliament, and Douglas Silliman, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq,…
World Jan 01 Kim Jong Un's 'major' strategy shift on North Korean weapons and economy North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has announced he will no longer abide by a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. With direct talks between North Korea and the Trump administration stalled, Kim also warned the people of his…
World Dec 31 Iraqis supporting Iran-backed militia attack U.S. Embassy, demand U.S. withdrawal In Baghdad, supporters of an Iran-backed militia remained outside the gates of the U.S. Embassy after attempting to storm the compound earlier in the day. The U.S. military planned to move more Marines in, but the Iraqi protesters insisted they…
World Dec 31 How Iran could benefit from Iraqi outrage over U.S. airstrikes A tense new year has dawned in Baghdad after U.S. airstrikes against an Iranian-backed militia prompted one of the worst attacks on a U.S. Embassy in years. Bilal Wahab of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Kirsten Fontenrose…
World Dec 16 In India, Modi's citizenship proposal for non-Muslim refugees prompts outrage Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved a new law granting preferential treatment to non-Muslim refugees from neighboring states Afghanistan, Parkistan and Bangladesh. Modi says the measure protects religious minorities fleeing Muslim nations -- but opponents say it discriminates against…
Economy Dec 13 Why U.S. and China are still 'very far away' from ending trade war On Friday, the Trump administration and China announced the first phase of a deal to de-escalate the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. But the agreement, positioned by the White House as a major victory, has prompted many…
World Dec 11 Why is a Nobel-winning human rights activist defending Myanmar on Rohingya atrocities? In 2017, the Myanmar military unleashed a reign of terror on Rohingya Muslims. According to the U.N., soldiers tortured, raped and killed civilians, driving hundreds of thousands to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Now the International Court of Justice is trying…