Politics

As China expands its military and economic influence in Africa, the United States should feel “very nervous,” according to journalist James Poulos. China is planning to build a military base on the horn of Africa in Djibouti. It could be the first step toward Beijing’s deeper involvement with the continent. Sputnik reports: Last year, China began talks with Djibouti to install a “logistics hub” and airfield in the east African nation.

Submitted by Patrick Buchanan via Buchanan.org,

Three weeks out from the Iowa caucuses, and clarity emerges.

Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, is in trouble.

Polls show her slightly ahead of socialist Bernie Sanders in Iowa, but narrowly behind in New Hampshire. And the weekend brought new revelations about yet more classified and secret documents sent over her private email server when she was secretary of state.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has hinted that Russia may be able to offer Syrian President Bashar al-Assad asylum should he need to flee Syria.  The Russian leader said if President Assad were pushed from office early, Russia would grant him asylum. “We granted asylum to Mr. Snowden, which was far more difficult than to do the same for Mr. al-Assad,” Mr Putin said in an interview on Tuesday. Washingtonpost.com reports: Putin was referring to Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who fled to Moscow after releasing reams of classified documents about U.S. surveillance programs.

Exclusive: In Official Washington’s propaganda world, the U.S. government and its “allies” are always standing for what’s right and good and the “enemies” are the epitome of evil doing the vilest things. But some emails to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton depicted a far different reality, writes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry To justify U.S. “regime…

The Pentagon have said that up to 10 US Navy sailors are being detained after a vessel broke down and drifted into Iranian territorial waters. The boats are in Iranian custody and Iran has said the crew will be returned “promptly”. A Pentagon spokesman told the Associated Press they lost contact with the vessels as they moved through the Gulf between Kuwait and Bahrain. “We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly,” the  spokesman Peter Cook told AP.