Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Israel’s president promotes unity with U.S. against Iran as Netanyahu’s government draws criticism
Israeli President Isaac Herzog drew cheers from a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday by stressing the U.S. and Israel must remain united on preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon -- regardless of current tensions between the Biden administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Published July 19, 2023
GOP demands answers as mystery over Iran envoy Rob Malley deepens
The Biden administration faced growing pressure Tuesday to explain the mystery around its top Iran envoy, Robert Malley, whose disappearance from his key position inside the State Department has plunged Iran policy into uncertainty and raised questions about whether the White House's diplomatic outreach to Tehran might have jeopardized national security. Published July 18, 2023
It would be ‘treason’ if Robert Malley leaked secrets, GOP leader says
Friction between the White House and Republicans over the Biden administration's top Iran policy official heated up over the weekend, with a key GOP member of the House saying it "would be treason" if special State Department Iran envoy Robert Malley is found to have leaked classified secrets to foreign adversaries. Published July 17, 2023
China’s ambassador to U.S. makes rare visit to Pentagon
China's top diplomat in the U.S. visited the Pentagon this week for a rare meeting with the top U.S. defense official for Asia, signaling a possible opening of military communications between Washington and Beijing since the Chinese side shut them down nearly a year ago. Published July 13, 2023
Biden: NATO alliance ‘more united than ever in its history’ in support of Ukraine
President Biden closed out a major NATO summit in Lithuania on Wednesday by touting the alliance's staying power on the global stage and asserting that Russian President Vladimir Putin badly misjudged the alliance's unity and strength when he invaded Ukraine in February of 2022. Published July 12, 2023
Zelenskyy’s frustrations with NATO boil over at summit
Tensions over Ukraine's desire to join NATO burst into the open as the alliance's annual summit began Tuesday, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is a special guest, sharply criticizing the bloc's failure to offer a firm date for his country to join. Published July 11, 2023
Turkey yields, opens Sweden’s path to NATO; war in Ukraine casts cloud over two-day summit
In a surprise move, Turkey dropped its objections to Sweden's bid to join NATO, opening the way for the alliance to move forward with its second historic expansion just hours ahead of a summit in Lithuania. Published July 10, 2023
China views Myanmar as hot spot in Cold War with Washington
A violent civil war between the China-backed military junta ruling Myanmar and a patchwork of pro-democracy rebels in the Southeast Asian nation is not getting much attention in the West, but is increasingly viewed by China's leadership as a strategic "Cold War" frontline in its global competition with the United States. Published July 3, 2023
Iranian dissidents hold major rally in France calling for regime change in Tehran
Thousands of supporters of the world's biggest exiled Iranian dissident group rallied in France over the weekend, calling for the overthrow of the theocratic regime at an event that drew support from top international figures. Published July 2, 2023
Fog of war: Crumbling Russian morale gives rare opening for Ukraine’s counteroffensive
Ukraine's highly touted counteroffensive to regain territory seized by Russian invaders showed little progress in its initial days, but that was before the near coup in Moscow and the possible removal from the battlefield of thousands of Wagner Group mercenaries, the backbone of Russian ground operations over the past year. Published June 28, 2023
Wagner insurrection creates opening for Ukrainian counteroffensive
Ukraine's highly touted counteroffensive to regain territory seized by Russian invaders had shown little progress in its initial days, but that was before the near-coup in Moscow and the possible removal from the battlefield of thousands of Wagner Group mercenaries, a key backbone of Russian ground operations over the past year. Published June 28, 2023
U.S. accused of ignoring crackdown on Iranian exiles to appease Tehran
The leading exiled Iranian dissident group says the Biden administration is downplaying attacks against its followers in Europe in a bid to placate Iran's hardline theocratic regime and draw it back to the negotiating table over its suspect nuclear programs. Published June 26, 2023
Putin image fades in face of rebellion
Blowback from a powerful Russian mercenary group's insurrection against the Kremlin swirled in Moscow on Sunday, laying bare the depths of an internal crisis facing Vladimir Putin and fueling speculation the war in Ukraine will eventually lead to his downfall. Published June 25, 2023
Blinken: Wagner rebellion ‘shows real cracks’ in Putin’s hold on power
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the Russian mercenary army Wagner Group's brief insurrection "was a direct challenge to [President Vladimir] Putin's authority," asserting that the Russian leader now has "a lot" to answer for over his messy war in Ukraine. Published June 25, 2023
China muted in response to chaotic developments in Russia
China's reaction was muted through the weekend to the internal crisis facing Russian President Vladimir Putin, following a brief rebellion by Wagner Group mercenaries. Published June 25, 2023
India’s Modi praises U.S. democracy in address to Congress
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the foundations of American democracy in an address to a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of the partnership between the world's two biggest democracies on a day of summitry that mixed geopolitics and commercial opportunity. Published June 22, 2023
China TikTok figure fingered in ‘deepfake’ anti-U.S. Russian soldier videos
A "deepfake" video series purporting to track a Russian special operations soldier's adventures in Ukraine was actually created by a TikTok figure in China. The series was used to promote narratives of Russia-China friendship to hundreds of thousands of followers on the Chinese version of the social media site. Published June 21, 2023
China weighs putting military troops in Cuba, according to report
China and Cuba are in talks to establish a joint military training facility, which could lead to Chinese troops being stationed on the island, U.S. intelligence reports indicate. Published June 20, 2023
Countering China key focus as Biden hosts India’s PM Modi
The Biden administration will roll out the red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrives in Washington on Wednesday. The White House hopes the trip will strengthen U.S.-India ties in the face of China's rising aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Published June 19, 2023
Blinken’s China visit to carry burden of blame for tensions
Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to China on Friday for a fence-mending visit amid historically high friction between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, brazen international spying attempts, and security and economic clashes with the U.S. and its allies across Asia. Published June 14, 2023