US Opinion and Commentary

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Turkey Needs Solutions, Not Scapegoats

Posted January 4th, 2017 at 9:41 am (UTC-4)
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By Barbara Slavin Turkey is accustomed to political violence. Coups and assassinations were common in the 1970s and 80s; in the 90s, a war broke out between Kurdish separatists and government forces that devastated southeastern Turkey and led to terrorism in major Turkish cities. But there is something particularly depressing and ominous about the spate […]

What the Murder of the Russian Ambassador Might Mean

Posted December 21st, 2016 at 1:26 pm (UTC-4)
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Neither Russia nor Turkey has any interest in blowing this out of proportion. Rapprochement between the two countries has been coming along nicely after relations hit rock bottom following Turkey’s shoot-down of a Russian fighter jet more than a year ago, and both sides have more to gain by having the relationship staying on track…

Massacre in Aleppo, Murder in Ankara and Berlin

Posted December 20th, 2016 at 10:17 am (UTC-4)
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By Barbara Slavin Students of the Middle East learn quickly that in that chronically unstable part of the world, things can always get worse and frequently do. This Christmas season, as millions around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the prospects for peace on earth in the region of his birth are non-existent […]

Obama: ‘ISIL Is on the Defensive’ in Syria & Iraq

Posted April 13th, 2016 at 10:08 pm (UTC-4)
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“Their barbarism only stiffens our unity and determination to wipe this vile terrorist organization off the face of the Earth,” President Barack Obama