World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

As the deadline for an Iranian nuclear agreement nears, there are voices joining with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu who believe that no agreement should be reached.  One of the leading analysts in the US neoconservative ranks is John Bolton, who was the US Ambassador to the UN in 2005-06.  He has written an op-ed piece for the New York Times arguing that the only viable course of action is to destroy militarily the Iranian nuclear facilities.  My own view is that Bolton is overly optimistic about what military action can accomplish, and that such an action would be disastrous.

Saudi Arabia has stepped up its pressure on Yemen by blockading the critical Red Sea.  The critical Strait of Bab el Mandeb has been a strategic chokepoint since the time of the Pharoahs, and Saudi control of the Red Sea will put tremendous pressure on the Houthi rebels.  Interestingly, the US has an important military base in Djibouti from which it will be able to give significant support to the Saudi effort.  Moreover, the Saudis must have cleared the operation with Israel since a great deal of Israeli trade emanates from the Gulf of Aqaba at the northern part of the Red Sea.  The seriousness of the effort is a good index of the increased fear of Iran which is motivating Saudi policy.

I have tried to track down some additional information on the Greek demands for reparations for the damages inflicted by Germany on the country during World War II.  It has been a frustrating process since apparently no one wishes to talk openly about the matter.  But Spiegel has run a short article which provides some additional information on the demands, and it seems from that report that the Greeks have a strong basis for their claims.