Diplomacy & Crisis News

(Own report) - Libya's government has resolutely rejected the EU's plans for a military operation aimed at terminating the transit of refugees to Europe. No ventures will be allowed that place the country's sovereignty into question, announced a spokesperson of the internationally recognized Libyan government, located in Tobruk. Monday evening, the EU decided to make a four-step military mission to Libya's coastline, which, following an initial phase of "reconnaissance," the EU forces would begin regular inspections of vessels, to then ultimately prepare the way for military operations on Libyan territory. Those operations threaten to lead to armed conflicts with the Libyan branch of the "Islamic State" (IS), which, according to reports, has a strong business interest in refugee smuggling. Thanks to the West having laid the groundwork by overthrowing Libya's long-time ruler Moammar al Gadhafi, the IS was able to establish itself in Darnah, East Libya, as was reported in the spring of 2011. The easiest and surest option of shutting down the refugee smuggling business - permitting the refugees legal entry into the EU - is being contemplated neither in Berlin nor in Brussels.

The Islamic State moves to consolidate power in Anbar.

And anyone should be able to see the U.S. strategy to defeat the Islamic State is failing.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is a free trade champion. But he's introduced a measure that could kill a massive Asian trade partnership.

A top U.S. military officer said Tuesday that an emerging nuclear deal with Iran will not affect U.S. plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe, despite strong objections from Moscow.

Laureano Márquez is not just a comedian. A political scientist by training, he uses his act to unmask the absurdity of the Venezuelan regime.

Forget Beijing and Shanghai. The fates of flicks like Age of Ultron will be decided in places like Changzhou.

A reverse-NIMBY protest is sweeping a city in southern China.

Iraq’s Shiites were an oppressed people. Now they are not. So why am I not happy for them, rejoicing in their rise?

From Malaysia to Cuba, how religious minorities use rituals — from simple prayer to violent penance — to create a sense of community.

I am hearing some interesting stuff about the Maryland National Guard’s recent deployment to downtown Baltimore.

A draft law designed to counter the influence of foreign organizations may choke Chinese civil society instead.

I was skeptical at first of his thoughts about writing about certain things causing insomnia, but then remembered that my wife once asked me not to read about My Lai after 4 p.m.

Pakistan Pakistan, Afghanistan sign accord to share intel The spy agencies of Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to carry out “coordinated intelligence operations” against militants operating along the border of the two countries (AP, Reuters). Maj. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa announced on Twitter on Monday that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security ...

By Paul McLeary with Ariel Robinson Pleased to meet me. What’s there to do for an 11-term congressman who decides that running yet again just ain’t worth it? Open a consulting firm, of course. Buck McKeon, the longtime Republican representative from California and former chairman of the influential House Armed Services Committee, retired in January ...

The European Union has approved a preliminary plan for a naval mission to stem the influx of migrants trying to reach Europe through human trafficking and smuggling operations in Libya. At least 51,000 migrants have reached Europe this year and more than 1,800 have died trying to transit the Mediterranean. The new EU plan will ...

To date, the Obama administration’s claims of progress in the campaign against the Islamic State (IS) have been accompanied by qualifications and caveats. In January, the Pentagon claimed to have killed 6,000 IS fighters since the September start of “Operation Inherent Resolve,” a statistic that became less impressive when later that month it was reported ...

The State Department on Monday shrugged off a decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appoint Silvan Shalom, a politician who has publicly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, as his chief negotiator for the long-stalled peace talks.

The stories of two Sunni leaders — one a tribal chief, the other a former insurgent — show why locals opposed to the Islamic State and Iraqi officials in Baghdad have so far failed to unite against their common foe.

Chinese military officials say their massive land reclamation in the South China Sea is all about establishing peace and stability. Washington isn’t buying it.