Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
James Clapper: Islamic State could infiltrate U.S., West through migrants fleeing from Syria
America's top spy said Wednesday that U.S. intelligence officials have a "huge concern" about Islamic State's ability to infiltrate waves of Syrian war refugees flowing into Europe and potentially the United States as pressure mounts on Western nations to take in a growing number of people fleeing the conflict in the heart of the Middle East. Published September 9, 2015
Iran wants in on Syria peace talks
The president of Iran -- the top international backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad -- said Tuesday that if asked, his nation would willingly join in peace talks with the U.S. and other powers, including rival Saudi Arabia toward an end to Syria's civil war. Published September 8, 2015
King Salman of Saudi Arabia set to back Iran nuclear deal — at a price
President Obama is set to receive an official, albeit reluctant nod of approval for the Iran nuclear deal when Saudi Arabia's new king visits the White House for the first time Friday, but analysts say it will come at a price as Riyadh seeks Washington's support for its increasingly anti-Iran foreign policy in the Middle East. Published September 3, 2015
Jeff Duncan demands full record of Iran negotiations be sent to Congress
A key Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee has asked the Obama administration to provide a full record of its negotiations with Iran relating to the nuclear deal reached this summer -- setting the stage for a new standoff between the White House and Congress as lawmakers prepare to vote on the deal during the coming weeks. Published September 3, 2015
Obama secures votes to preserve Iran nuclear deal despite majority opposition
President Obama's intense lobbying on Wednesday secured support from a 34th Senate Democrat, ensuring his Iranian nuclear deal will survive a veto battle with Congress and setting into motion the extraordinary imposition of a foreign agreement over the objections of large numbers of voters and big majorities in both the House and Senate. Published September 2, 2015
Arctic scramble spurs new debate over U.N. Law of the Sea pact
The international scramble over development, energy and climate change in the Arctic -- highlighted by President Obama's trip to the Alaska's far north this week -- is prompting fresh debate over whether American influence in the region may be limited by the fact that the U.S. is the only nation in the fight to have never ratified the Law of the Sea treaty. Published September 2, 2015
John Kerry seeks support for Iran nuke deal as Obama gains key vote
With a key Senate Democrat giving the Obama administration the number of votes needed to block any Republican effort to derail the Iran nuclear deal Wednesday, Secretary of State John F. Kerry offered fresh defense of the accord -- asserting anew that it "will make the United States, Israel, the [Persian] Gulf states and the world safer." Published September 2, 2015
John Kerry warns of increasing pace of Arctic glacier melt
Secretary of State John F. Kerry says "climate change is not a distant threat for our children and their children to worry about It is happening now." Published August 31, 2015
Syrian peace may hinge on Moscow’s game plan
Moscow is increasingly emerging as a center of diplomacy on Syria's four-year-old civil war, with the Obama administration sending a key emissary to the Russian capital to discuss the conflict on Friday, following recent visits by high-level Saudi, Jordanian and Iranian officials -- as well as key members of the Syrian political opposition. Published August 30, 2015
Russia emerges as key player in new round of Syria diplomacy
Moscow is increasingly emerging as a center of diplomacy on Syria's four-year-old civil war, with the Obama administration sending a key emissary to the Russian capital discuss the conflict on Friday, following recent visits by high-level Saudi, Jordanian and Iranian officials -- as well as key members of the Syrian political opposition. Published August 28, 2015
Marco Rubio urges crackdown on China’s ‘authoritarian ruler’ Xi Xingping
Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio says Chinese President Xi Xingping is an "authoritarian ruler" and that President Obama should downgrade the Chinese leader's upcoming Washington trip to a "working visit," not role out the red carpet for him. Published August 28, 2015
More than 200 retired generals and admirals urge Congress to reject Iran deal
The number of retired generals and admirals signing on to a letter to Congress rejecting the Iran nuclear deal continued to swell Thursday, with some 214 of the former high-level U.S. military officers putting their stamp on the document that asserts the "agreement will enable Iran to become far more dangerous" and "introduce new threats to American interests." Published August 27, 2015
Saudi Arabia royal family’s grasp on power threatened by drop in oil prices
The sharp drop in oil prices is starting to bite for the world's longtime top oil-producing nation, Saudi Arabia, and could threaten the seemingly unshakable social contract that has seen the kingdom's royal family rule for nearly a century with almost no opposition or oversight from the nation's masses. Published August 26, 2015
Bashar Assad, Syria’s president, says Russia and Iran support won’t wane
Syrian President Bashar Assad says Iran-back Hezbollah fighters are playing a completely legitimate role in bolstering Syria's military against terrorists and that he has "strong confidence" Russia will also continue to support his embattled regime. Published August 26, 2015
Caroline Kennedy oversight of Japanese embassy slammed in IG report
The State Department's internal watchdog leveled biting criticism at the management style of U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy in a new audit on Tuesday, citing "confusion among staff" and "major management challenges" in key offices at the Tokyo embassy. Published August 25, 2015
Islamic State cell raided in Spain and Morocco; 14 suspects arrested
Authorities in Spain and Morocco rounded up 14 suspected members of an Islamic State cell on Tuesday in a wide-ranging joint operation that saw one suspect detained near Madrid and the others taken into custody in several Moroccan cities. Published August 25, 2015
China’s woes threaten global economy; White House begs Xi Jinping for transparency
Fears mounted Monday that China's deepening economic woes could soon derail the global economy, as stock markets nosedived around the world and the Obama administration pleaded with Beijing to be more transparent about its economy to win back investor confidence. Published August 24, 2015
Iran planning ballistic missile war games
A top commander in the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said Friday that Iran is preparing to hold massive "ballistic missiles war games," following an announcement that Tehran plans to begin phasing in a new generation of such missiles. Published August 21, 2015
Israel fights back, launches airstrikes at Syria
The Israeli Air Force launched a second wave of airstrikes on southwestern Syria on Friday morning in retaliation to a barrage of rockets that hit Israel a day earlier -- the first time since 1973 that rockets from Syrian territory have soared into Israel. Published August 21, 2015
North Korea, South Korea exchange artillery fire as rising tensions alarm U.S. officials
U.S. officials expressed growing alarm Thursday after North and South Korea fired dozens of artillery rounds at each other, ratcheting tensions on the divided peninsula to their highest point in nearly a year. Published August 20, 2015