Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Pompeo defends himself against NPR reporter’s claim he yelled at her
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended himself Saturday against accusations from a National Public Radio (NPR) anchor who claims he shouted at her in an obscenity-laced tirade after a contentious interview she conducted with him at department headquarters on Friday. Published January 25, 2020
Mike Pompeo: Trump ‘America first’ policy creating ‘hemisphere of freedom’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a major speech in Florida Thursday that President Trump's foreign policy puts "America first," but stressed that the mantra actually means helping oppressed people in other nations fight for freedom and democracy -- especially in the Western Hemisphere. Published January 23, 2020
Trump administration homing in on Iran-backed operations in Latin America
The Trump administration's push to counter Iran's influence in South America won key support from leaders in the region in recent days, with three Latin American nations officially declaring Lebanon's Tehran-backed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Published January 23, 2020
‘Nuke sniffer’ and other U.S. spy planes monitoring heightened North Korea threat: Report
A flurry of U.S. Air Force spy and special operations aircraft activity has been reported over the Korean peninsula in recent days, coinciding with heightened concern that North Korea may be readying a major ballistic missile test or other provocation, including a possible nuclear detonation test. Published January 22, 2020
Under U.S. pressure, Seoul to send mission to Strait of Hormuz
South Korea's deployment of a key naval unit to the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday may be a show of support for the Trump administration's attempt to rally allies against Iran, but analysts say it is unlikely to ease a nasty military spending dispute between Washington and Seoul. Published January 21, 2020
Iran expands Taliban support, targets U.S. troops in Afghanistan
Escalating U.S.-Iran tensions mean Afghanistan, which shares a border with Iran, could be the next proxy battleground between Washington and Tehran, a clash that threatens to undermine the Trump administration's pursuit of a peace deal with the Taliban and eventual drawdown of American troops. Published January 20, 2020
Reza Pahlavi, former shah’s son, says Iranian protesters ‘can smell’ regime’s downfall
The exiled son of Iran's former shah said protests rocking the Tehran government could topple the clerical regime and called on Western powers to back the uprisings and abandon any hope that the regime will ever behave like a "normal" government. Published January 15, 2020
Vladimir Putin sets stage to stay in power in Russia long after his presidency ends
Russian President Vladimir Putin set the stage Wednesday for sweeping constitutional changes that could allow him to continue wielding more power than anyone else in Moscow long after his current presidential term ends in four years. Published January 15, 2020
Park Won-soon, Seoul mayor, talks Trump, Kim Jong-un, Korea reunification
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: North Korea talks have gone nowhere for months, but the mayor of Seoul -- a capital city just 35 miles from Kim Jong-un's expanding ballistic missile threat -- insists that peace will ultimately prevail, Pyongyang will give up its nuclear weapons, and the Korean Peninsula will be reunified. Published January 14, 2020
Iran still threatening retaliation despite Trump de-escalation push
President Trump has presented a posture of de-escalation following Iran's missile strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq, but Iranian leaders continue to spew threats, with some suggesting the strikes will soon be followed by additional attacks. Published January 9, 2020
U.S.-Iran clash threatens anti-ISIS efforts
The decision by Washington and NATO to suspend work with Iraqi forces against the Islamic State is raising difficult questions about whether the U.S.-Iranian clash is undercutting the fight against the terror group. Published January 8, 2020
Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq hit with rocket attack: Reports
Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in neighboring Iraq on Tuesday evening in retaliation for the killing of a top Iranian general, putting Washington and Tehran on a collision course that threatens to disrupt the entire Middle East, shake global markets and drag President Trump into a foreign conflict he has long sought to avoid. Published January 7, 2020
Mike Pompeo: Soleimani strike ‘entirely legal’; Trump made the ‘right decision’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday shot back at critics questioning the legal basis for last week's drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, asserting that President Trump "made the right decision" by authorizing the strike to protect U.S. personnel in the Middle East. Published January 7, 2020
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran vow ‘severe revenge’ for Qassem Soleimani killing
The Middle East held its breath Monday as Iran's three-day mourning period for slain Gen. Qassem Soleimani ended with a mass outpouring of grief and heated vows of revenge against President Trump from top Iranian officials, while U.S. allies pleaded for calm in an attempt to de-escalate the spiraling crisis between Washington and Tehran. Published January 6, 2020
Mike Pompeo vows to attack Iran leaders if Tehran retaliates
The Trump administration escalated its threats Sunday to hit Iran's top leaders with military strikes if Tehran or its proxies carry out any attacks against American personnel or interests in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani last week. Published January 5, 2020
Al-Shabab terror attack in Kenya kills three Americans
Al-Shabab extremists overran a key military base used by U.S. counterterror forces in Kenya before dawn Sunday, killing three American Department of Defense personnel and destroying several U.S. aircraft and vehicles before they were repelled, U.S. and Kenyan authorities said. Published January 5, 2020
U.S., Kenyan military forces repel terrorist attack at Manda Bay Airfield
American and Kenyan military forces repelled an al-Shabab terrorist group attack Sunday at a key base in Kenya that U.S. officials use to provide counterterrorism support for East African partners, the Pentagon said. Published January 5, 2020
Iran’s leader vows ‘severe revenge,’ while Democrats question the legality of U.S. strike
Iran's supreme leader vowed Friday to inflict "severe revenge" for the killing of the Islamic republic's elite military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani by an American drone strike in Iraq. Published January 3, 2020
Donald Trump’s tough line on Iran put to the test in election year
President Trump has successfully hardened U.S. policy toward Iran since pulling out of the Obama-era nuclear deal 17 months ago, engineering a dramatic shift in policy that has rankled America's allies in Europe but won deep praise from Israel and several key Arab powers. Published January 3, 2020
Qassem Soleimani killed by U.S. airstrike
The U.S. military claimed responsibility Thursday night for an airstrike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian military's elite Quds force, at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Published January 2, 2020