Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Gunmen kill 5 nuclear engineers in Syrian capital: reports
Five nuclear engineers were gunned down Sunday night on the outskirts of Syria's capital, Damascus, according to assorted reports. Published November 10, 2014
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Islamic State leader, wounded in airstrike, reports say
U.S. and Iraqi officials were scrambling Sunday night to determine the extent of injuries suffered by Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi amid conflicting reports that the terrorist leader had been wounded over the weekend by an airstrike in Western Iraq. Published November 9, 2014
Republican Senate takeover gives war hawks, neocons bully pulpit
Republican insiders say legislation already is in the works to pressure the White House into expanding the war against the Islamic State and increasing pressure on Russia and Iran, as the GOP takeover of the Senate provides neocons and war hawks with their first bully pulpit since the end of George W. Bush's presidency. Published November 6, 2014
GOP likely to fall short of votes to reject potential Iran nuclear deal
Republicans controlling both houses of Congress will have new license to pressure the Obama administration on foreign and national security policy, but congressional sources and analysts say it remains unlikely the GOP will have the power to play spoiler if the White House decides to accept an Iranian nuclear deal that allows Tehran to continue enriching uranium. Published November 5, 2014
With Iran deadline looming, Obama’s top negotiator tapped for new post
The Obama administration's top diplomat in the sensitive negotiations over Iran's nuclear program has now been tapped to serve as acting deputy secretary of state. Published November 3, 2014
Obama administration decries Israeli expansion in East Jerusalem as ‘unfortunate’
The Obama administration sounded a defeated note of displeasure Monday following Israel's announcement that it will push forward with plans to build new apartments in East Jerusalem despite criticism over the past week from Washington and other world capitals. Published November 3, 2014
U.S. condemns Islamic State for ‘brutal’ executions in Iraq
The State Department strongly condemned "brutal actions" of the Islamic State Friday, following reports that group carried out a mass execution of moderate Sunni Muslim tribesmen who had fought back against the extremists in Iraq's western Anbar province. Published October 31, 2014
Terror issues loom large in Greek official Kikilias’ Washington visit
It is "too early to tell" whether the U.S.-led bombing campaign against the Islamic State will work, says a top Greek national security official who was in Washington this week to discuss how his nation can better coordinate with the U.S. to track extremist foreign fighters between Europe and the Middle East. Published October 30, 2014
Hagel: Assad benefiting from U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel admitted outright Thursday that Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom the Obama administration has for years called for the removal of, is now benefiting from the administration's strategy of bombing Islamic State targets inside Syria. Published October 30, 2014
U.S. national security adviser says Iraq to blame for lack of security after 2011
Deputy National Security Adviser Antony Blinken defended the Obama administration’s strategy for fighting the Islamic State during a rare public briefing in Washington. Published October 29, 2014
World Bank president backs Chinese global lending counterpart
The Obama administration-appointed president of the World Bank says he feels in no way threatened by — and instead fully supports — China's creation of a massive infrastructure investment bank, despite the administration's tireless behind-the-scenes attempts to smear the project. Published October 26, 2014
World Bank chief Kim acknowledges staff dissent over changes
The World Bank’s president acknowledged for the first time publicly on Friday internal clashes at the international lending institution, where hundreds of rank-and-file economists and staffers have walked off the jobs in recent weeks to protest what they say is management secrecy over budgets cuts and a massive structural reorganization. Published October 24, 2014
Vladimir Putin emboldened by weak U.S. response to Russian aggression
Russian military provocations have increased so much over the seven months since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine that Washington and its allies are scrambling defense assets on a nearly daily basis in response to air, sea and land incursions by Vladimir Putin's forces. Published October 23, 2014
Islamic State among ‘best-funded’ terrorist groups on earth: Treasury Dept.
With the exception of a handful of state-sponsored militant groups, the Islamic State is likely the "best-funded terrorist organization" Washington has ever confronted, raising roughly $1 million a day from black market oil sales, $20 million in ransoms over the past year and millions a month through extortion rackets in Syria and Iraq, the Treasury Department's top official tracking terrorist financing said Thursday. Published October 23, 2014
Iran executions surge amid U.S. nuclear talks
Iran's abuse of human rights, including the hangings of hundreds of dubiously convicted citizens — in several cases minors — has soared over the past year, even as the Obama administration has yielded to Tehran's demand for an extension in precarious international talks over the Islamic republic's disputed nuclear program. Published October 14, 2014
Turkey denies U.S. base deal in place for Islamic State battle
Turkish officials on Monday denied the existence of a deal to allow U.S.-led forces battling the Islamic State to conduct operations from bases inside Turkey — an awkward blow for the Obama administration after National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice announced the cooperation ahead of an international strategy session in the fight against the extremists. Published October 13, 2014
Obama’s cybersecurity adviser: Biometrics will replace passwords for safety’s sake
The days of using a password to access your bank account or cellphone will soon be a thing of the past, President Obama's top cybersecurity adviser said Thursday. Published October 9, 2014
U.S. intel: Kim Jong-un still in charge in North Korea
While some in Washington's national security community believe North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been pushed aside by a secret coup, the leading theory among intelligence officials is that the young dictator has disappeared from public view because he is bedridden with a bad case of gout brought on by heavy smoking and too much caviar. Published October 8, 2014
World Bank employees protest hefty bonuses amid cost-cutting, layoffs
The World Bank has been the go-to financier for developing nations for decades. But now its own employees are staging a rich-nation protest reminiscent of Occupy Wall Street, voicing outrage that top managers got hefty bonuses while pushing an aggressive cost-cutting agenda expected to include salary reductions and layoffs for lower-level staff. Published October 7, 2014
Hong Kong becomes a fresh foreign policy puzzle for Obama
Massive pro-Democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong teetered on the brink of violence Friday, putting the Obama administration in an increasingly precarious position over whether or not to take an aggressive public stand behind the protesters by warning Chinese authorities against violently crushing the movement. Published October 3, 2014