Every year on the third day of July, a dozen Iranian children on board a ship throw gladiolas into the sea to commemorate the memory of innocent men, women, and children whose bodies were afloat, like the flowers, on the waters of the Persian Gulf. By Hossein Nazari.

And other tales from the Northern border.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also announces the liberalisation of parts of the economy.

A mere 14 percent of Russian bombs that fell on Syrian soil in the past three years have reportedly struck Islamic State targets, according to a recent defense industry report. Russia deployed air, ground and naval forces in support of the Syrian army in 2015, four years after the start of the civil war and a year after the United States amassed an anti-Islamic State coalition.

US military equipment and ammunition, sent to Syria as part of a failed effort to arm “moderate” forces to battle Daesh, were instead handed over to an al-Qaeda group in the country, according to a report. “I communicated with al-Qaeda’s branch, Al Nusra, to protect and safely escort me and my soldiers for two hours from North Aleppo to West Aleppo,” Maj. Anas Ibrahim Obaid, who said he brokered the deal, told Fox News from his home in the western Aleppo area.

We need to try to talk with Iran’s government, seek a better relationship with the Iranian people, and a more constructive role for Iran in the region. By Bernie Sanders.

The latest warning of Russian intrusions is another sign that cyber-space is becoming one of the focal points for growing tension between Russia and the West. But so far, much of the talk about cyber-war remains hypothetical rather than real. It is true that Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is on high alert for the possibility of some kind of Russian activity. More people and resources have been devoted to monitoring and investigation.

The Project for the New American Century (PNAC) was a neoconservative[1][2][3]think tank based in Washington, D.C. that focused on United States foreign policy. It was established as a non-profit educational organization in 1997, and founded by William Kristol and Robert Kagan.[4][5] PNAC's stated goal was "to promote American global leadership."[6] The organization stated that "American leadership is good both for America and for the world," and sought to build support for "a Reaganite policy of military strength and moral clarity."[7]

As the US walks away from the Iran deal is Washington headed down the road to war? That’s the assumption of the deal’s supporters, the main talking point – but is it necessarily true? By Justin Raimondo.

In the days and hours leading up to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement, Israel was preparing for war in the Golan Heights. Urging all residents in and around the mountainous, border region to prepare bomb shelters, Israeli forces moved in rocket launcher systems capable of striking ground targets with high precision up to 70 km away. Then, mere hours after Trump signed the executive memorandum detailing the U.S. withdrawal, Israel began striking targets inside Syria with jets.

Fresh back from Damascus, I was taking my coffee on the Beirut Corniche this week when a neat little Greek warship hove into sight... By Robert Fisk.

Caroline Alexander explores how Homer’s epic poem helped redefine the way we worship – and what the ancient Greek tale can still tell us about war. By Caroline Alexander.

Before his arrest, Haji Juma Khan worked with the CIA and the DEA while aiding the Taliban and trading tons of heroin and opium. By Johnny Dwyer.

If states are permitted to determine when force is warranted, outside the existing legal framework, the legitimacy of that framework may be fatally undermined.

Sources tell Reuters that Japan is discussing plans for a new air superiority fighter with international contractors.

The US Air Force has ordered the development of a hypersonic cruise missile, which it hopes will travel at Mach 5 - five times the speed of sound - through air defences and keep fighter jet pilots out of harm’s way. Defence giant Lockheed Martin has been tasked with producing the weapon as part of a prototype programme led by the US Department of Defence.  

Russia received a series of crucial warnings from America of the imminent air strikes through a 24 hour hotline intended to limit the possibility of a direct military clash between the two superpowers, it has emerged. In the aftermath of the bombing of Syrian targets, America, Britain and France were all at pains to point out that the so-called “deconfliction channel” - a continuously open line of communication between Washington and Moscow - had been repeatedly used.

You might think Trump's bombing of Syria is unconstitutional. The Justice Department says you're wrong, but the reason why is top secret.

In the early hours of Friday, April 13, U.S. President Donald Trump, in coordination with French and U.K. armed forces, ordered a series of strikes against targets in Syria in apparent retaliation against the Syrian regime’s alleged use of chlorine gas on civilians in Eastern Ghouta. The strikes were aimed against chemical weapons and logistics facilities throughout Syria, and were condemned by much of the world. Hours later, Syrians were seen dancing on the streets, elated by how light and ineffectual Trump’s strikes were. For his part, Trump tweeted “Mission accomplished!”

Oh, the hypocrisy of it. By Robert Fisk.