Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
John Boehner says Iran elections are ‘phony,’ slams nuclear deal in first public speech
In his first public speech since disappearing from Washington's political scene four months ago, former House Speaker John Boehner on Friday hammered the Obama administration for striking last summer's nuclear accord and declared outright that the elections currently taking place in the Islamic republic are nothing but "a phony attempt to prop up an ailing regime." Published February 26, 2016
China grudgingly accepts U.S. missile shield deployment to South Korea
China's top diplomat said Thursday Beijing has "legitimate national security" concerns over the potential deployment of an advanced U.S. missile shield to South Korea in response to growing nuclear provocations from North Korea -- but Chinese leaders also respect that it will be up to Seoul to "make a final decision" on the matter. Published February 25, 2016
THAAD system: China says it might accept U.S. missile shield in South Korea
China's top diplomat says Beijing has "legitimate national security" concerns over the potential deployment of an advanced U.S. missile shield to South Korea in response to growing nuclear provocations from North Korea -- but Chinese leaders also respect that it will be up to Seoul to "make a final decision" on the matter. Published February 25, 2016
John Kerry defends White House handling of Iran missile tests
Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Wednesday defended the Obama administration's decision not to punish Iran for carrying out two recent ballistic missile tests, but said that if another test occurs anytime soon, the White House might respond with fresh sanctions against Tehran. Published February 24, 2016
John Kerry: U.S. has sent to the Kurds 41,000 grenades and 60,000 anti-tank rounds
The Obama administration's reliance on Kurdish militants to fight the Islamic State has prompted deep friction with Turkey, but Secretary of State John F. Kerry says U.S. weapons will continue to flow to the so-called peshmerga forces, with some 5 million rounds of ammunition expected to be delivered soon. Published February 24, 2016
China bent on ‘hegemony in East Asia,’ Navy Adm. Harry Harris Jr. warns
The top U.S. military commander in the Pacific is warning China is bent on achieving "hegemony in East Asia," as Beijing's top diplomat held talks in Washington with Secretary of State John F. Kerry amid rising tensions over who controls the vital South China Sea. Published February 23, 2016
U.S. mulls selling weapons to Vietnam to stave off China military buildup in region
The top admiral in charge of U.S. military operations in Asia says Washington should drop its remaining restrictions on weapons sales to Vietnam in order to better defend against China's military buildup in the South China Sea. Published February 23, 2016
Iran elections to test enthusiasm for Hassan Rouhani’s reformist agenda
Iran's voters go to the polls Friday in the first major test of public opinion in the Islamic republic since last summer's nuclear accord, a vote that may well determine whether President Hassan Rouhani has a green light to forge ahead with long-promised political and economic reforms in the nation. Published February 22, 2016
Turkey blames Obama’s muddled Syria policy for fueling its security crisis
With U.S.-Turkish ties already in a bad state, the fallout from this week's terrorist strike in the heart of Ankara has sent tensions to new heights, with Turkish leaders declaring that Washington's muddled policy in neighboring Syria is fueling a widening security crisis inside their country. Published February 18, 2016
U.S.-China clash over South China Sea control intensifies after missile deployment
The clash between China and the U.S. over who will control the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest waterways, escalated Wednesday as Secretary of State John F. Kerry lashed out at Beijing after the Obama administration said it confirmed reports that China had deployed advanced surface-to-air missiles on a built-up island it occupies in the contested sea. Published February 17, 2016
Obama offers veiled reprimand of China in South China Sea dispute
Without mentioning China by name, President Obama offered an implicit reprimand of Beijing at the close of a two-day summit he hosted for Southeast Asian leaders Tuesday, suggesting China's construction of artificial islands and naval bases in the contested South China Sea was destabilizing the region and vowing to keep the sea open to international traffic. Published February 16, 2016
Syria cease-fire would help Bashar Assad, allies secure control of Aleppo
Syria's largest city has become the biggest prize for embattled President Bashar Assad and his Iranian and Russian backers, as the Obama administration pushes to implement a cease-fire that would effectively consolidate their gains around the onetime moderate opposition stronghold of Aleppo. Published February 14, 2016
North Korea penalized by U.S., Japan, China, South Korea for hostility
Aftershocks from North Korea's satellite launch over the weekend continued to reverberate on both sides of Pacific on Wednesday, as South Korea pulled the plug on a high-profile joint venture with Pyongyang, the U.S. and Japan moved ahead on new economic sanctions on the North and China faced increasing pressure to rein in its rogue ally. Published February 10, 2016
Ri Yong-gil, North Korea’s army chief of staff, executed: Report
A top North Korean military general was executed this month on corruption and other charges, according to a South Korean news report Wednesday, sparking speculation that ruler Kim Jong-un may have deemed the official as an internal threat to his grip on power in Pyongyang. Published February 10, 2016
James Clapper, intel chief: North Korea has restarted plutonium reactor
President Obama's top intelligence official warned Tuesday that the country is facing an unusually broad range of security threats, from Islamic State recruitment of extremists inside the U.S., to Iranian support for terrorism, to the expanding pursuit by Russia and China of cyberspying technology and weapons capable of neutralizing U.S. satellites orbiting the earth. Published February 9, 2016
Russian ambassador sees U.S. ties at post-Cold War low
Russia's top diplomat in the U.S. said in a briefing with reporters Monday that relations between Washington and Moscow are in "a deplorably difficult state" and have fallen in recent years to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War. Published February 8, 2016
At least 35 migrants die as boats capsize off Turkey
At least 35 migrants were killed Monday after two boats capsized off the coast of western Turkey, just as German Chancellor Angela Merkel was visiting the nation to strategize with Turkish authorities on how to stem the flow of refugees to Europe from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Published February 8, 2016
North Korea launches rocket; U.S. and South Korea formalize missile shield talks
North Korea defied international warnings Sunday by launching a new long-range rocket -- prompting swift condemnation from the United Nations and frustration in Washington and Seoul, which will now formalize long-anticipated talks toward deploying an advanced U.S. missile shield in South Korea despite opposition from China. Published February 7, 2016
Obama administration pressures Russia to stop Syria bombing campaign
The Obama administration escalated its demand that Russia halt its bombing campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday, a day after a major multinational push to hold peace talks aimed at ending Syria's 5-year-old civil war struggled to get off the ground. Published February 4, 2016
Iran claims $100 billion windfall from sanctions relief — double what White House estimated
The Obama administration is finding itself on the defensive amid rising charges that the U.S. and its allies lowballed the estimate of the billions of dollars Iran will reap from the deal that curbed Tehran's nuclear programs in exchange for the lifting of punishing economic sanctions. Published February 3, 2016