Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Trump-Abe summit sparks fears of new North Korean provocation
North Korea's latest threat to engage in "fiercer" provocations if Washington doesn't soften its denuclearization demands is the latest example of Pyongyang using a summit of U.S. and Japanese leaders to amplify its demands. Published May 24, 2019
Turkey determined to buy Russian defense system, officials say
A high-level Turkish delegation visiting Washington said Wednesday that Ankara will receive the advanced Russian-made S-400 missile defense system by July, despite Trump administration threats to sanction Ankara amid fears it is shifting increasingly into Moscow's orbit. Published May 22, 2019
Jim Rogers presses for Korea-Japan tunnel pending nuclear crisis end
Imagine driving from Tokyo all the way to Paris. It sounds crazy, but that's just what some of the world's top international investors say could one day become reality -- if the North Korean nuclear crisis ever gets resolved. Published May 21, 2019
Groups call on Congress to ‘halt march to war with Iran’
A group of 62 predominantly left-leaning organizations sent an open letter to Capitol Hill Tuesday calling on lawmakers to push through legislation that would block President Trump from authorizing military action against Iran without explicit new approval from Congress. Published May 21, 2019
Chinese companies flood N. Korean trade fair despite Trump and U.N. sanctions
More than 200 Chinese companies and dozens from Russia, Pakistan, Poland and other nations are participating in a major trade fair in Pyongyang, despite U.S. and U.N. sanctions aimed at blocking foreign investment across much of North Korea's economy. Published May 21, 2019
Donald Trump escalates Iran conflict as world frets
President Trump defended his aggressive Iran policy Wednesday, claiming his expanding pressure campaign will force Tehran into direct talks, even as critics and supporters alike on Capitol Hill demanded explanations and American allies overseas expressed concerns about another war in the Middle East. Published May 15, 2019
U.S. intel showed Iran-backed militias moving rockets in Iraq: Report
The current ramping up of U.S. military posturing against Iran was triggered by U.S. intelligence that showed Tehran-backed militias in Iraq moving rockets to locations that could hit bases where American troops are positioned in the nation, according to sources familiar with the intelligence. Published May 15, 2019
Tensions simmer as U.S., Iran tamp down talk of war
A drone strike on Saudi oil assets by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels escalated tension between Tehran and Riyadh and triggered fresh unease in Washington on Tuesday, even as President Trump denied a report that he was weighing plans to send 120,000 U.S. troops to the region if Iran continues its provocations. Published May 14, 2019
Putin says Mueller probe was ‘objective,’ calls for renewed U.S.-Russia ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he believes U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller conducted an "objective" probe into whether there was collusion between Russia and President Trump's 2016 campaign, and that ties might improve between Moscow and Washington now that the investigation has concluded. Published May 14, 2019
Donald Trump warns Iran over Saudi Arabia tanker attack
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unexpected detour Monday to Brussels to try to sway European leaders skeptical of the administration's growing brinkmanship with Iran -- just as reports emerged that U.S. allies in the Middle East had four of their oil tankers sabotaged in attacks likely to be pinned on Tehran. Published May 13, 2019
Mike Pompeo preps major Arctic policy speech amid concern over Chinese warships in region
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will deliver a major speech Monday in Finland on the administration's evolving policy toward territorial disputes in the Arctic amid heightened U.S. concern over expanding Chinese and Russian maritime operations there. Published May 3, 2019
Kim Jong-un replaces Kim Yong-chol with Jang Kum-chol
A major regime shake-up by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the eight weeks since his failed summit with President Trump has set U.S. officials on edge amid uncertainty over whether high-level personnel changes in Pyongyang will help or damage the stalled nuclear talks. Published May 2, 2019
John Bolton says U.S. troops ‘on the balls’ of their feet over Venezuela
National Security Adviser John R. Bolton said Wednesday that while the Trump administration still wants a "peaceful transfer of power" in Venezuela, U.S. military forces are "ready to go" into the South American nation at a moment's notice. Published May 1, 2019
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS leader, appears in video for first time in 5 years
He may have lost his hold on territory in Syria and Iraq and barely eluded the U.S.-backed forces who destroyed his "caliphate," but unbroken Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi re-emerged Monday, appearing for the first time in five years in a crude jihadi video to declare that his global terrorist organization is far from dead. Published April 29, 2019
Sri Lanka widens Islamic State manhunt
Sri Lankan authorities said Friday they're hunting for as many as 140 people suspected of links to the Islamic State terror group in an evolving investigation following the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 people at churches and hotels in the South Asian nation. Published April 26, 2019
Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin summit to discuss North Korea’s workforce
Kim Jong-un's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week may be a symbolic move by the North Korean leader to show he has a powerful friend in Moscow, but sources familiar with Mr. Kim's agenda say a key focus of the meeting will be allowing more than 10,000 North Korean laborers to remain in Russia despite U.S. demands. Published April 24, 2019
Donald Trump should exploit Russian ‘weaknesses’ but keep INF Treaty intact: Report
The Trump administration's abandonment of a key Cold War-era nuclear treaty won't do much to counter Russian military provocations and information warfare around the world, according to a new national security policy report that says the White House would be wise to focus more on a strategy of exploiting Moscow's economic and political weaknesses. Published April 24, 2019
Saeb Erekat says Trump broke pledge by moving embassy to Jerusalem
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: The Palestinians' outspoken resistance to U.S. mediation in the Middle East peace process is justified because President Trump broke a promise two years ago to avoid any moves before announcing his blueprint that unfairly favored Israel, according to longtime chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. Published April 23, 2019
Donald Trump asks Saudi Arabia to pay for Middle East peace deal
For an administration not exactly famed for strategic patience and deliberative policymaking, President Trump's push for an impending Middle East "deal of the century" could be a notable outlier. Published April 23, 2019
David Friedman sees Jerusalem embassy as Palestinian benefit
Ambassador David M. Friedman says the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, contrary to Palestinian claims, will produce an enhanced diplomatic mission that benefits everyone. Published April 23, 2019