Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Intelligence leaks top terrorism in threat assessment
Syria has become a hotbed for al Qaeda training, Iran’s nuclear ambitions will hinge on the country’s internal politics, post-Arab Spring violence is likely to grow over the coming year, and the threat of a massive cyber attack on American interests is increasing. Published January 29, 2014
State Department bureau’s climate change data can’t be relied upon, audit says
While President Obama is expected to tout his progress on environmental issues in Tuesday's State of the Union address, a recent government audit exposed serious organizational problems that continue to lurk beneath the surface of the administration's effort to confront climate change. Published January 28, 2014
State Dept. confirms Kerry visit with Bae family, calls for N. Korea to release imprisoned pastor
State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki confirmed on Tuesday that Secretary of State John Kerry met with the family of Kenneth Bae, the imprisoned pastor who has been in North Korea custody for months. Published January 28, 2014
Obama’s foreign policy fails to stop global move away from freedom
The world has grown less free on President Obama's watch, and the U.S. has been left on the free trade sidelines as other countries have pushed bilateral trade agreements. Published January 27, 2014
U.S. missile strike unleashed in Somalia; al-Shabab terror leader targeted
The Pentagon has carried out a missile strike on Somalia, targeting a vehicle that was believed to be carrying a suspected leader of the al-Shabab terrorist network with ties to al Qaeda. Published January 27, 2014
EXCLUSIVE: N. Korea sending message it wants to release captive Kenneth Bae, former envoy says
Washington's former top negotiator with North Korea says the videotaped statements by captive American Kenneth Bae this week are a sign Pyongyang is looking for a way to release the detained pastor — and that the State Department is likely now mobilizing behind the scenes to seize the opportunity. Published January 24, 2014
Iraqi leader: Nation on course for Syria-style civil war
The highest-ranking elected Sunni leader in Iraq painted a bleak picture of his nation's future Thursday, telling an audience in Washington that without serious and quick reconciliation between sectarian political parties, the country could be swallowed by a war comparable to the one now raging in Syria. Published January 23, 2014
Syria peace talks open with bitter clash on fate of Bashar Assad
The clash between Washington and its adversaries over whether an end to Syria's war can be achieved without the resignation of President Bashar Assad was on full display Wednesday as a long-delayed international peace conference got underway in Switzerland. Published January 22, 2014
Ukraine protesters being spied on through cell phones, reports say
Major mobile phone providers in Ukraine deny that they're working with the nation's government to spy on protesters, who've brought a fresh and intense round of pro-democracy rallies to the capital city of Kiev during recent days. Published January 21, 2014
White House: Despite easing $6 billion in sanctions, Iran not ‘open for business’
The Obama administration’s carrot-and-stick approach to Iran was on full display Monday, with the White House praising Tehran for progress in dismantling parts of its nuclear program — while also working successfully behind the scenes to get the Islamic republic disinvited from a Syrian peace conference. Published January 20, 2014
China encroaching on U.S. military dominance in Pacific, says top admiral
While Adm. Sam Locklear said it was obvious Chinese military power is growing, he suggested it remains unclear whether China will seek in the long-term to be a hard adversary to the U.S. — so Washington should be working overtime on steering Beijing toward a cooperative security posture. Published January 16, 2014
U.S. skeptical of report the West now helping Assad fight rebel extremists
A top official under Syrian President Bashar Assad says operatives from several Western intelligence agencies have held discussions with the government in Damascus about how to combat Islamic extremists who have become increasingly active in Syria's civil war over the past year. Published January 15, 2014
Iraqi deputy prime minister blames U.S., al-Maliki for rising violence
One of Iraq's top Sunni politicians on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of fomenting sectarian violence to limit the voices of Sunnis in upcoming elections, and he criticized the Obama administration for failing to do more for a country "destroyed" by the United States. Published January 14, 2014
Kerry claims partial ceasefire could be in the works for Syria
Secretary of State John F. Kerry struck a note of optimism on Syria Monday, claiming that he and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are discussing a partial ceasefire ahead of a major peace conference next week in Geneva. Published January 13, 2014
Iraqi diplomat wants Obama engagement in al Qaeda crisis
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: Iraq's ambassador to Washington says the Obama administration doesn't fully grasp the consequences of failing to more aggressively combat a surging al Qaeda threat inside his country, pointedly suggesting that President Obama has been less engaged with Baghdad than his predecessor. Published January 8, 2014
Iraq War veterans mourn losses of hard-fought gains in Fallujah
Robert Reynolds chokes up when asked to recall what it was like to be among U.S. forces who routed al Qaeda-linked fighters from the western Iraqi city of Fallujah a decade ago. Published January 7, 2014
Report blames rising Iraqi unrest on Prime Minister al-Maliki
At top foreign policy think tank in Washington offered an alarming assessment of Iraq's devolving security situation on Monday and lambasted the Mideast nation's Shiite Muslim prime minister for exploiting sectarian divisions in a "relentless search for power." Published January 6, 2014
U.S. walks tightrope by handing arms to Shiite-led Iraq
The Obama administration's decision to provide drones and accelerate shipments of U.S. missiles to Iraq to help in the fight against resurgent al Qaeda-linked extremists added a fresh layer of complexity Monday to an already difficult relationship between Washington and the Shiite Muslim-dominated government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Published January 6, 2014
Obama admin to hold firm in pursuit of neutrality amid ‘global rebalancing’
Secretary of State John F. Kerry's first full year as the top U.S. diplomat promises to be busy in a foreign policy landscape increasingly resistant to American dominance. Published January 2, 2014
‘Russian bin Laden’ Doku Umarov investigated in pre-Olympics attacks
Two suicide bombings targeting Russian civilians just weeks from the opening of Winter Olympics have renewed fears that a Chechen terrorist known as the "Russian bin Laden" may be bent on committing or inspiring more attacks on so-called soft targets, and possibly major international sporting events. Published January 1, 2014
