Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
John Kerry to push Vladimir Putin for help in Syria
Secretary of State John F. Kerry hopes to focus ending Syria's war when he meets Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but will steer clear of trying to "normalize" U.S.-Russia relations in his first face-to-face meeting with the Russian leader since relations plummeted over the confrontation in Ukraine. Published May 11, 2015
Iraqi Kurdish chief hopes to sidestep region’s clash with Iran
Iran's influence over the Middle East is expanding but the region's Kurds are determined to stay neutral in the face of tensions stemming from Tehran's role in conflicts from Iraq to Syria and Yemen, the president of Iraq's Kurdistan region said Friday. Published May 8, 2015
Saudis intensify strikes in Yemen despite calls for cease-fire
A day after claiming to be on board with the Obama administration's push for a cease-fire in Yemen, Saudi Arabia intensified its airstrikes Friday against Iran-backed rebels in the nation. Published May 8, 2015
Masoud Barzani: Kurds will one day declare independence
The president of Kurdistan's regional government told an audience in Washington on Wednesday that the Kurds will hold a referendum on independence from Iraq when hostilities surrounding the war against Islamic State extremists in the nation are resolved. Published May 6, 2015
Obama weighs offering Saudi Arabia weapons provided only to Israel
The Obama administration is quietly pushing Sunni Arab allies in the Persian Gulf to create an advanced missile defense system, and is preparing to ramp up sophisticated weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in an effort to ease regional fears over a potential nuclear deal with Iran. Published May 5, 2015
Philip Breedlove: Russia exploiting Ukraine cease-fire
The U.S. commander of NATO said Thursday that Russia and pro-Russia separatist forces exploited the recent cease-fire in eastern Ukraine to "reset and reposition themselves" and appear now to be preparing for a fresh offensive against Ukraine's military. Published April 30, 2015
U.S. pressures Saudi Arabia to stop bombing Iran-backed rebels in Yemen
The Obama administration is quietly ramping up pressure on Saudi Arabia to stop bombing Iran-backed rebels in Yemen and engage in peace talks toward a political solution to the nation's conflict. Published April 30, 2015
Saudi shake-up won’t undercut ties, U.S. says
The Obama administration said a major power shake-up in Saudi Arabia, where the nation's counterterrorism czar was abruptly promoted to crown prince and its ambassador to the U.S. elevated to foreign minister, would not undercut relations with one of Washington's most critical Middle East allies. Published April 29, 2015
Finland fires on suspected Russian submarine in waters off Helsinki
Six months after a Russian sub lurking off the coast of Stockholm triggered Sweden's biggest naval mobilization since the Cold War, Finland said Tuesday that its military had fired underwater depth charges at a suspicious vessel in waters near Helsinki. Published April 28, 2015
Vitali Klitschko, ex-heavyweight boxing champ, says Ukraine can’t take on Russia alone
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: The stakes have always been high for Vitali Klitschko — from the nine times he defended his heavyweight boxing title right through his emergence as a major opposition figure on Ukraine's violent political scene. Published April 27, 2015
Islamic State Christians execution video displays cinematic sophistication
The Islamic State's latest mass-beheading video might seem like guerrilla camera work shot on a desolate Libyan beach. But a closer look reveals a level of cinematic sophistication that U.S. officials and one American filmmaker say likely involved rehearsals and perhaps even multiple takes to pull off successfully. Published April 20, 2015
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, says nation seeks ‘good relations’ with neighbors
Iran's foreign minister says his nation wants the success of nuclear talks to be a launchpad for diplomatic engagement between Tehran and its adversaries across the Middle East — with the goals of confronting the Islamic State and resolving the wars in Syria and Yemen. Published April 20, 2015
China building runway on manmade South China Sea island
New satellite images reveal that China is building an airstrip for its military on a manmade island in a hotly contested maritime area, a move that raised alarm bells for U.S. officials and for U.S. allies in the region. Published April 17, 2015
Haider al-Abadi, Adel al-Jubeir spar over Yemen
In a sign of the difficult diplomacy and conflicting alliances the Obama administration is trying to manage in the Middle East, the Saudi ambassador and the Iraqi president traded barbs in Washington on Wednesday over Riyadh's campaign against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. Published April 15, 2015
Saudi envoy says Riyadh committed to fight against al Qaeda
Saudi Arabia remains committed to the fight against the Yemen-based branch of al Qaeda, even as Saudi forces battle Shi'ite Houthi rebels who have overrun much of the country, Riyadh's ambassador to Washington insisted Wednesday. Published April 15, 2015
Obama Iran nuclear deal a tough sell to Tehran’s hard-liners
President Obama isn't the only leader having trouble and who could face a tough job selling the proposed nuclear deal with Iran. Published April 14, 2015
Russia shields Iran from airstrikes, puts Obama nuclear deal in political peril
Russia on Monday gave the green light to a long-stalled $800 million deal to deliver an advanced anti-missile rocket system to Iran, bringing sharp criticism from the White House and Israel and new political peril for President Obama's prospective nuclear deal with Tehran. Published April 13, 2015
Oman suited for Middle East peacemaker role amid rising tensions
Discreet and strategically located, the small sultanate of Oman helped kick-start secret nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington in 2013. Now many in the U.S. and the Middle East say the Persian Gulf nation, a neutral safe haven in Shiite-Sunni clashes raging across the region, may hold the key to defusing Saudi Arabia's clash with Iran-backed rebels in Yemen before it erupts into all-out war. Published April 9, 2015
Ali Khamenei’s doubts place cloud over Iran deal
First they were for it. Then they were against it. Then they were for it again. Now, Iran's Supreme Leader, speaking publicly for the first time Thursday on the matter, seems to be against key elements of it. Published April 9, 2015
Libya rejects U.S.-led offensive against Islamic State, seeks aid
Libya's top diplomat in Washington wants aggressive U.S. support in containing the Islamic State's rise in her nation but strongly rejects the idea of an American-led bombing or ground offensive, saying it would just make things worse. Published April 5, 2015