After 10 months of anti-government protests in Syria and some 5,000 dead amid a violent government crackdown, the United States is preparing to close the U.S. embassy in the capital city of Damascus and evacuate all American personnel by the end of January, The Washington Post reports. The embassy will remain open only if President […]
Pakistan announced Thursday that it plans to reopen supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan, but will impose tariffs. Islamabad closed its borders to NATO after a cross-border air raid killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26. US officials described the incident as “regrettable” and having resulted from “the fog of war.” The NATO attack […]
According to economist John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics, the unemployment rate for the month of December 2011 was closer to 22.4 percent–not the 8.5 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Obama’s 8.5% is far removed from reality. To get closer to the real number, we must consult the (U6) figure that is […]
A poll conducted among U.S. citizens has found that 35 percent of them believe that the U.S. should attack Iran if sanctions do not stop the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. The poll, which was conducted by Rasmussen Reports, included 1,000 U.S. likely voters. Among other questions, they were asked how likely it is that stiff […]
Russian state television has launched an all-out assault on the new U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul—undeservedly so, although not unexpected. Russia’s Channel One, run by All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), aired a hostile report this week aimed at the ambassador as he begins his tenure in Moscow. The report attacked McFaul personally and […]
Gen. Martin Dempsey arrives Thursday, Jan. 19, for his first visit to Israel as Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff amid a major falling-out between the two governments over the handling of Iran’s nuclear weapon potential. debkafile’s military and Washington sources confirm that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands by the view that Iran […]
On Wednesday, president Obama rejected the TransCanada’s permit application to construct a 1,700-mile pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to Texas refineries. Join us on Friday from 12-1 for our “Lunch with Heritage” chat. We will be joined by Heritage’s energy expert Jack Spencer. He will be taking your questions about why the decision was made, what the […]
President Obama announced he was rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline project Wednesday, blaming Republicans in Congress for forcing him to make a decision. The pipeline would have transported up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta, Canada to Oklahoma and Texas. “This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, […]
Clearly, the impact of President Obama’s proposal to consolidate parts of six trade agencies is tiny in comparison to the government’s $3.5 trillion in spending or its trillion-dollar-plus deficits. But if—and that is a big if, depending upon not-yet-available details—it represents a genuine step toward smaller, less costly, and more effective government, it would be […]
Even as Western officials try to tamp-down the drums of war with Iran amid spiking oil prices, Saudi Arabia says it is ready to go to war to defend its interests. Former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal told delegates at a Gulf Cooperation Council conference that Riyadh will use “all available options” to defend […]
