On Monday, August 21st, President Trump spoke at Fort Myer, Virginia about future U.S. engagement in Afghanistan. He committed to victory in the region, ultimately defeating the terrorist organizations which operate in the country –including ISIS, al Qaeda, and the Taliban. While President Trump did not enumerate specific…
North Korea fired an intermediate range missile into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, August 29th, 2017. Tensions have escalated sharply this year as North Korea has already launched 13 missiles. Earlier this month, in response to harsher United Nations sanctions, the North Korean regime successfully launched missiles with the…
Secretary of State Tillerson has refused to sign-off on $80 million of appropriated funds to combat propaganda. In 2016, the State Department created the Global Engagement Center (GEC) to fight ISIS misinformation campaigns. Its purview now includes Russian propaganda and fake news, and Congress authorized more funds…
On Wednesday, August 2nd, the State Department notified Congress that it approved the sale of twelve A-29 fighter jets to the Nigerian military. The jets are commonly used for counter-insurgency and reconnaissance, and the U.S. government hopes these planes will help Nigeria fight Boko Haram –an extremist group that…
On August 2nd, President Trump signed a bipartisan effort to punish Iran, North Korea, and Russia. It imposes harsh sanctions and also requires the President to submit a report explaining any desire to remove them. Upon receiving this report, Congress would hold hearings and decide whether to allow or reject this proposal. The bill passed…
Before President Trump’s July 9th meeting with the G20, the administration decided to conclude an operation that provided weapons to anti-Assad rebels in Syria, according to senior administration officials. President Obama initiated this secret program in 2013 through the CIA in order to establish military credibility in the region…
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was founded in 1949 as a response to rising global threats. NATO is the paramount international defense alliance, and its members are some of the beacons of stability and democracy across the globe. Because of President…
President Trump does not have a consistent policy on Syria nor Bashar al-Assad, and this confusing stance damages American interests in the region. The Assad regime uses chemicals weapons on its own people, colludes with Russia to maintain an authoritarian state, and fails…
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain all cut diplomatic ties and travel to Qatar on June 5th, and were quickly joined by Libya, Yemen, and the Maldives on June 6th. This move will lead to the removal of diplomats and embassies, and the travel restrictions prohibit air, water, or land travel between any…
On June 6th, Mexico and the United States reached an important stage in the drafting process of the sugar trade deal between the two nations. Mexico agreed to every demand made by the United States and is willing to work with the American sugar industry to make further progress. The deal would protect American exports…
On June 16th, President Donald Trump signed a directive with the intention of reversing Obama-era Cuba policy changes. The directive only dealt with a few regulations and left many in place. Specifically, private tours of Cuba are no longer allowed, and any educational trip will undergo an intensive audit. Furthermore, President Trump…
President Donald Trump announced on April 25th a new set of tariffs on Canadian lumber policies. Citing an unfair deal, President Trump has launched a new set of duties ranging from 3% to 24% on five Canadian lumber companies. Currently, most Canadian lumber firms pay a tariff of 20% on exports to the United States. This dispute…