News Roundup 5/18/17

by | May 18, 2017

  • The Trump Administration has announced that they will be extending the waiver for some sanctions on Iran. The sanctions included in the waiver were agreed upon in the 2015 nuclear deal. The Trump Administration announced new sanctions on Iranian military officials. [Link]
  • The Washington Post is reporting that Trump will announce plans to form an “Arab NATO” while in Saudi Arabia. [Link]
  • Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has been appointed to a special council to investigate claims that Russia hacked the US election. [Link]
  • Canada will deploy fighters to Africa in an advise and assist role. The Canadian government is calling it a peacekeeping mission. [Link]
  • A seven-year-old boy with autism was arrested and removed from school for misbehaving. [Link]
  • Protesters supporting Kurdish interests in DC fight with Erdogan’s bodyguards outside of the home of the Turkish ambassador. Nine people were hurt and two were arrested. [Link]
  • The new South Korean president wants to reopen communications with North Korea. [Link]
  • Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for a car bomb that killed three Somali soldiers in the country’s capital. [Link]
  • Saudi Arabia is looking to invest in a Saudi-based defense industry. [Link]
  • The Afghani military will receive 159 Black Hawk helicopters. [Link]
  • Top NATO officers are recommending that NATO formally enters the coalition to fight ISIS. [Link]
  • The Free Syrian Army announces that the US has resumed some support for the group. The group also announced a new alliance with groups linked to al-Qaeda. [Link]
  • Undercover video shot in Idlib Syria show the prevalence of al-Qaeda-linked groups among the Syrian rebels. [Link]
  • A US airstrike in Syria near the Iraqi border kills 42. [Link]
  • Six people were killed by two car bombs that targeted a refugee camp on Syrian’s border with Jordan. [Link]
  • Patrick Cockburn analyzes the US decision to arm the YPG. [Link]
  • Syrian civilians say the US media is lying and the anti-Assad movement has been hijacked by jihadists. Several thousand of those jihadists are from foreign countries. [Link]
  • A Cholera outbreak in Yemen has killed over 180 people since April 27th. [Link]
  • Two more anti-government protesters have been killed in Venezuela. One of those killed was a teenager. A police officer was charged in connection to one of the deaths. [Link]

On Foreign Policy Focus #41, I discuss the recent survey that identified only 37% of Americans can find North Korea on a map. I make the case that people who support a hostile policy against North Korea should be able to find North Korea on a map. I think so few Americans being able to find North Korea on a map illustrates how out of touch Americans are with our foreign policy. I also update several foreign policy current events. LISTEN HERE!!

About Kyle Anzalone

Kyle Anzalone is news editor of the Libertarian Institute, opinion editor of Antiwar.com and co-host of Conflicts of Interest with Will Porter and Connor Freeman.

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