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from Asia Times
LEAST BIASED, HIGH; News & Media Website based in Hong Kong
Esmail Qaani: Soleimani’s discreet successor
Esmail Qaani, the man appointed by Iran to succeed the charismatic Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, is expected to bring his experience in cultivating regional militias to the IRGC’s external operations arm, and most critically, to further the Supreme Leader’s goal of ridding the region of US troops. Like Soleimani, Qaani, 62, is a veteran of the eight-year Iraq-Iran war, during which he commanded units that included allied Afghan mujahedeen, according to a profile in state news agency Tasnim. But while Soleimani gained more prominence as a battlefield commander, Qaani over the years focused on connecting disparate Shiite minority communities in the region and bringing them into Iran’s sphere.
Trump balances election strategy, national security
Much criticism has been levied against US President Donald Trump for his January 3 targeted killing of General Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Concerns have ranged from retaliatory attacks against the US, angering European allies, embroiling Washington in a prolonged war with Tehran, and deepening America’s involvement in the Middle East amid little public appetite for such endeavors. Yet had Trump not acted against Soleimani at some point, it would have reinforced the narrative that the Islamic Republic could continue attacking the US and its interests without any consequences amid its decades-long quest to become the region’s predominant power.
Esmail Qaani, the man appointed by Iran to succeed the charismatic Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, is expected to bring his experience in cultivating regional militias to the IRGC’s external operations arm, and most critically, to further the Supreme Leader’s goal of ridding the region of US troops. Like Soleimani, Qaani, 62, is a veteran of the eight-year Iraq-Iran war, during which he commanded units that included allied Afghan mujahedeen, according to a profile in state news agency Tasnim. But while Soleimani gained more prominence as a battlefield commander, Qaani over the years focused on connecting disparate Shiite minority communities in the region and bringing them into Iran’s sphere.
Much criticism has been levied against US President Donald Trump for his January 3 targeted killing of General Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Concerns have ranged from retaliatory attacks against the US, angering European allies, embroiling Washington in a prolonged war with Tehran, and deepening America’s involvement in the Middle East amid little public appetite for such endeavors. Yet had Trump not acted against Soleimani at some point, it would have reinforced the narrative that the Islamic Republic could continue attacking the US and its interests without any consequences amid its decades-long quest to become the region’s predominant power.
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from Mises Institute
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, MIXED
The Iranian regime and the Saudi Arabian regime are longtime enemies, both vying for control of the Persian Gulf region. Part of the conflict stems from religious differences — differences between Shia and Sunni Muslim groups. But much of it stems from mundane desires to establish regional dominance. For more than forty years, however, Saudi Arabia has had one important ace in the hole in terms of its battle with Iran: the US's continued support for the Saudi regime.
Deriding Chile for its economic inequality is fashionable among detractors of its economic model. Chile’s economic success during the forty years has not been enough for its loudest critics. Looking for whatever hole they can find, they frequently cite Chile’s inequality as a sign of concern.
One of the lasting legacies of the economic collapse a decade ago is subprime. After lying dormant for several years in the aftermath of the Great Recession, the subprime market has returned with a vengeance. Everything is subprime nowadays, as banks, finance companies, and unconventional lenders are less averse to risk and are willing to extend credit to consumers with low FICO scores and inadequate incomes. As the great Yogi Berra used to say, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
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from The North American Anglican
Media/News Company: "A journal of orthodox theology in the Anglican tradition"
Drew Keane on the lost tradition of Prayer Book commentary: For Anglicans, commentary on our liturgy has been — more than in any other tradition — one of the main vehicles for exploring, explaining, and debating our doctrine. This has led to some unfortunate exaggerations, like the false notion that Anglicans don’t have a theology, only set forms of prayer. Nevertheless, as Archbishop Ramsey liked to say, Anglicans do have a habit of doing theology to the sound of church bells (The Anglican Spirit, 1991, p. 9) and most of us have come to think of this habit as a virtue. As a result, commentaries on the Common Prayer reveal a great deal about Anglicanism.
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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington
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