Opinion/Editorial
![Image How the Daraa Offensive will change America's presence in Syria [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/How-the-Daraa-Offensive-will-change-Americas-presence-in-Syria-1.png?time=1679641501)
With the looming Syrian government offensive in Daraa, the U.S. may be facing its final opportunity to check the Assad regime without further escalating the conflict. Since the Syrian regime, led by Bashar Al-Assad, initiated an offensive on Daraa this June, the city and governorate… Keep Reading
![Image Opinion | America’s Upside Down Foreign Policy [Lima Charlie News][Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Opinion-America’s-Upside-Down-Foreign-Policy-480x320.jpg)
The Pentagon’s National Defense Strategy called for the US to focus on countering China and Russia on the world stage. Yet, while past presidents have deviated from or even ignored the NDS, President Trump appears to be going in the exact opposite strategic direction. In… Keep Reading
![Image Opinion | Turkey trades Democracy over promises of greatness [Lima Charlie News][Photo: Lefteris Pitarakis / AP]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Turkey-trades-Democracy-over-promises-of-greatness-480x320.png)
Has Erdogan’s re-election sealed the fate of Turkey’s fragile democracy? On June 24th, Turkey held two simultaneous elections, the parliamentary and general elections. The latter saw the controversial, albeit predictable re-election of the country’s incumbent president of 15-years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. President Erdogan has now… Keep Reading
![Image NATO's embrace of Colombia signals Western insecurities about China in Latin America [Lima Charlie News][Photo: Mauricio Duenas Castaneda / EPA]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/NATOs-embrace-of-Colombia-signals-Western-insecurities-about-China-in-Latin-America-480x320.jpg)
With Chinese investment and influence in Latin America on the rise, NATO and the U.S. welcomed Colombia into NATO’s global partnership, the first Latin American country to join. In May, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that Colombia would join NATO as a “global partner.”… Keep Reading
![Image Trump tariffs miss the mark on why some U.S. industries are failing [Lima Charlie News][Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Trump-tariffs-miss-the-mark-on-why-some-U.S.-industries-are-failing-480x320.jpg)
The Trump administration’s heavy tariffs on iron and steel will have very little impact on China, while punishing the industries of longtime U.S. allies. The problems of a failing U.S. steel industry will not be solved by tariffs alone. In March, the Trump administration announced… Keep Reading
![Image Saudi women granted driver's licenses still have a long road ahead [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Saudi-women-granted-drivers-licenses-still-have-a-long-road-ahead-Lima-Charlie-News-480x320.png)
Saudi Arabia stepped into the 20th century this week by granting ten women driver’s licenses, with 2,000 more expected. But what does reality really look like in the Kingdom when the rubber meets the road? Exciting things are happening in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.… Keep Reading
![Image Ignoring Puerto Rico is not the American way [Lima Charlie News][Photo: Mario Tama]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Ignoring-Puerto-Rico-is-not-the-American-way-480x320.jpg)
Puerto Rico was already in crisis before Hurricane Maria hit the island, and increasing casualties have added urgency to the need for reform. Both Republicans and Democrats have plans to help the island, yet neither party is taking direct aim at the high cost of… Keep Reading
![Image Marketing to Islam - Does the holy month of Ramadan affect economic growth? [Lima Charlie News][Photo: Anniesa collection]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Marketing-to-Islam-Does-the-holy-month-of-Ramadan-affect-economic-growth-480x320.png)
Islam-related commerce is on a sharp rise throughout the world, at a growth rate twice that of the baseline global economy. Does observing the holiest month of Islam, Ramadan, a sacred duty that any true believer must adhere to, adversely impact the productivity of the… Keep Reading
![Image Memorial Day may soon be a remembrance of democracy and those who had the courage to defend it [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Memorial-Day-may-soon-be-a-remembrance-of-democracy-and-those-who-had-the-courage-to-defend-it-Lima-Charlie-News-480x320.png)
To the classical mind, a society in which political authority is divorced from military service was practically beyond the imagination. Worth remembering, as we greet another Memorial Day with 1,281,900 U.S. military personnel the world over, and the looming threat of waning democracies worldwide. Over… Keep Reading
![Image America's obsession with plastic [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Americas-obsession-with-plastic-480x320.jpg)
While plastic continues to pose a real threat to our environment and health, America’s leadership, America’s lobbyists and America’s plastic culture all fight to keep us drowning in plastic. Now it has fallen to local governments and environmental advocacy organizations to take the lead. A few… Keep Reading
![Image Giving the Afghan Air Force Blackhawks is a terrible idea [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Afghanistan-Black-Hawk-Helocopters--480x320.jpg)
After then President Hamid Karzai declared Afghanistan’s Air Force ‘reborn’ in 2008, NATO poured money and equipment into the country. However, the initiatives have consistently fallen flat, and the US should think twice about a Blackhawk helicopter program it may never finish. In a big move… Keep Reading
![Image En Marche! France’s economy stands at a crossroads and for Macron, failure is not an option [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/En-Marché-France’s-economy-stands-at-a-crossroads-and-for-Macron-failure-is-not-an-option-480x320.png)
France has long been considered the weakest of Europe’s big three economies, Europe’s black sheep. Yet, under the leadership of President Emmanuel Macron, it appears at long last to be moving in the right direction. France has long been considered the weakest of Europe’s big… Keep Reading
![Image America’s failed seaports - Trump’s ‘America First’ policy isn’t the only barrier to free trade [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/America’s-failed-seaports-480x320.jpg)
While the Trump Administration’s “America First” policy may be damaging to U.S. free trade worldwide, America’s inability to maintain deep water access at its seaports is a far more critical enemy than any new tariff or duty. Thanks to historic “America First” legislation, American seaports… Keep Reading
![Image 'Sanctions and the Rise of Putin's Russia' - starring oligarchs, siloviki, Rossiyskaya mafiya and Oleg Deripaska [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Putin-oligarchs-Lima-Charlie-News-480x320.png)
‘Sanctions and the Rise of Putin’s Russia’ contains an all star cast that includes oligarchs, siloviki, Chekists, and Rossiyskaya mafiya. Special guest star, Oleg Deripaska, makes an appearance as a ‘special case’ along with a brief appearance by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Sanctions is… Keep Reading
![Image The world has no option but to let Assad stay where he is ... for now [Lima Charlie News]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/The-world-has-no-option-but-to-let-Assad-stay-where-he-is-...-for-the-time-being-480x320.png)
After the alleged chemical attack on the Syrian city of Douma, a coalition consisting of France, the UK and the US launched a large scale attack against Bashar al-Assad’s chemical warfare capability. If the coalition’s intent was to inconvenience the Syrian government and do some… Keep Reading
![Image Kim Jong-Un isn’t as crazy as you think [Lima Charlie News][Image: Reuters]](https://75bdb6.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Kim-Jong-Un-isn’t-as-crazy-as-you-think-480x321.png)
It is widely believed that North Korea and its leaders are crazy or irrational. Incoming National Security Advisor, John Bolton, has said that Kim Jong-Un is irrational and cannot be deterred. His predecessor, HR McMaster, said much the same thing. These views are entirely wrong.… Keep Reading
