Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Sexual harassment complaints at State Department soar under Clinton, Kerry
In a disclosure that could have political implications for election campaigns, the State Department's chief watchdog reported Thursday that worker harassment complaints have nearly tripled inside the department during the tenures of Hillary Rodham Clinton and John F. Kerry -- but the department still doesn't have mandatory training for all employees. Published June 18, 2015
Bashar Assad steps up chemical attacks despite Obama pledge he rid Syria of weapons
The chemical weapons deal the Obama administration helped negotiate with Syria two years ago came under withering scrutiny Wednesday as Congress aired gruesome testimony of how the Assad regime has used chlorine barrel bombs in more than two dozen recent attacks on civilians -- leaving lawmakers in both parties frustrated by the president's claim to have rid the war-torn nation of chemical munitions. Published June 17, 2015
Nasir al-Wuhayshi death by U.S. drone strike creates al Qaeda global leadership gap
The U.S. drone strike that killed the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- the global terrorist group's second-in-command -- is unlikely to slow the group's deadly operations in Yemen but is expected to have a deep and lasting effect on the struggling global operations of "al Qaeda prime" -- the core group that Osama bin Laden founded and led until his death in 2011. Published June 16, 2015
Nouri al-Maliki undermines U.S. interests in Iraq, plots return to power
Iraq's former prime minister is playing a critical, backroom role in undermining the Obama administration's push for a more inclusive government in Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi officials say, warning that Shiite hard-liner Nouri al-Maliki is still pulling the strings behind the scenes in a bid to return to power in the years ahead. Published June 15, 2015
U.S. lawmakers join Iranian dissidents in France for giant regime change rally
In a sign that Iran's dissident movement isn't going away even as the U.S. and its partners eye a deal with Tehran, tens of thousands of Iranian opposition exiles gathered in France for an annual rally demanding regime change in Iran and condemning President Obama's push to sign a nuclear accord with the Islamic republic. Published June 13, 2015
Khamenei regime in Iran legitimized by Obama nuclear talks, dissidents say
Days before a major Iranian dissident rally in France, the head of the host organization says the "circumstances are ripe for regime change" in Tehran, but Washington and other Western governments are standing in the way by legitimizing the regime of Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei through the pursuit of a nuclear deal. Published June 11, 2015
U.N. report accuses U.S. of hiding Iran sanctions violations
A newly revealed United Nations report accuses Iranian leaders of regularly violating international sanctions and asserts that several Western powers -- including the United States -- ignored the infractions to protect ongoing nuclear talks with the Islamic republic. Published June 9, 2015
Iraq eyes formation of National Guard to fight Islamic State
A top Iraqi Sunni politician said Monday his nation's parliament is close to voting on legislation to create a National Guard to formalize the role of Sunni tribal militias in the fight against the Islamic State — an initiative the Obama administration has been pushing for nearly a year. Published June 8, 2015
Cuba trade embargo fate hinges on Havana human rights progress
President Obama's policy shift on Cuba could soon lead to the opening of a U.S. embassy in Havana, but analysts and congressional insiders say it could be years before the decades-old embargo on trade with the communist island is lifted, despite mounting pressure from U.S. business groups. Published June 8, 2015
Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Pakistan envoy, denies any nuclear aid for Saudis
Pakistan's top diplomat said Thursday his nation is eager for the U.S. and its allies to reach a nuclear accord with Iran so sanctions on Tehran can be lifted, while vehemently denying charges that Islamabad might provide nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia to counter Iranian aggression in the region. Published June 4, 2015
‘Virtual U.S. Embassy Tehran’ helps U.S. connect with Iranians on Facebook
While full diplomatic relations with Iran remain a distant dream of the Obama administration, a small clutch of American officials have spent the past three years quietly building a "Virtual U.S. Embassy Tehran" that now boasts more than a half-million Facebook fans and a digital footprint that sources say is read even by hard-liners in the Islamic republic. Published June 3, 2015
Obama deal in jeopardy as Iran nuclear fuel stockpile grows
The White House scrambled Tuesday to try to limit the damage from reports from a U.N. watchdog group that Iran nuclear fuel stockpiles are growing, revelations that could put a nuclear accord with Tehran by this summer in doubt. Published June 2, 2015
Obama admin dismisses reports of Iran hoarding nuclear fuel
The White House is downplaying the latest report from a United Nations watchdog that Iran's stockpile of nuclear fuel has grown by roughly 20 percent over the past 18 months and not been "frozen" during that period as the Obama administration has previously claimed. Published June 2, 2015
John Kerry’s injury casts pall over Iran nuclear negotiations
Secretary of State John F. Kerry's broken leg in a cycling accident raised questions Monday about the fate of nuclear talks with Iran, with White House officials acknowledging that Mr. Kerry won't be able to keep up his usual demanding schedule as negotiators race an end-of-the-month deadline. Published June 1, 2015
Cuba officially removed from U.S. terror list
The Obama administration on Friday officially removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, removing a key barrier toward full normal diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the communist island. Published May 29, 2015
U.S. to probe allegations that Iran, North Korea are linked in nuclear and missile research
U.S. officials said they were seriously examining an Iranian dissident group's claims on Thursday that Iran and North Korea are forging ballistic missile and nuclear research ties -- but that the allegations are unlikely to derail ongoing nuclear negotiations between Western powers and Tehran. Published May 29, 2015
U.S. slams Russian push to classify military casualties as Ukraine coverup
The State Department on Thursday slammed the Russian government's decision to stop making public its peacetime military casualties, calling the decree a clear attempt by Moscow to hide the deaths of Russian soldiers conducting clandestine operations inside eastern Ukraine. Published May 28, 2015
Beijing brushes off South China Sea complaints, adopts aggressive military stance
U.S. officials pushed back Tuesday against China's attempt to justify its construction of artificial islands and naval bases in the contested South China Sea -- and expressed wariness over a new Chinese Defense Ministry policy paper that analysts say is the most assertive military document issued to date by Beijing. Published May 26, 2015
Russia recovery talk premature as sanctions threaten to cripple economy
Russian government officials -- and even some outside banking institutions -- are sounding increasingly confident that the Russian economy has weathered the storm brought on by U.S. and European sanctions, but some private analysts say the worst is yet to come. Published May 25, 2015
Obama’s Islamic State solution still military advisers in Iraq, says U.S.-led coalition winning
The administration said Thursday that it would consider sending more military advisers to Iraq, although President Obama doesn't believe the U.S.-led coalition is losing the war against the Islamic State after the terrorist group's significant gains in recent days. Published May 21, 2015