Naval Issues Analyst for the LOC's Congressional Research Service
Naval Issues Analyst for the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress
PROFILE
Ronald O'Rourke
Guest
FROM Ronald O'Rourke
To the Point
Another Growing Crisis in the Middle East Iran has released a videotape and three letters purporting to be from Faye Turney, the lone woman among fifteen British captives, apologizing for crossing into Iran's territorial waters. Today, a second detainee, Nathan Thomas Summers, is shown on video, once again with an apology. Tony Blair calls Iran's actions disgusting violations of international law that will isolate Iran from the rest of the world. At the same time, both Iran and the US are conducting naval maneuvers in the Persian Gulf--the US with two aircraft carriers and dozens of other ships. What are the prospects for resolution or escalation as neither side shows any sign of backing down? Today's confrontation is a current affair, but there are centuries of history behind it. What's the history of British and American relations with oil-rich Iran?
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To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
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To the Point
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To the Point
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