Analysis & Opinion

Cooperation and conflict between ranchers and the feds

Troubled relations between Western ranchers and the federal government do not have to lead to an armed standoff. Yet, rancher Ammon Bundy and his militia, who are occupying a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, are part of the American West’s long tradition of fierce battles between public and private land ownership.

Western grievances are real, but Bundy is the wrong guy to raise them

Bundy believes he has a quasi-constitutional, quasi-divine right to defy federal rule. But his neighbors demur.

Happy nuclear New Year from North Korea’s Kim Jong-un

“We will absolutely not accept it if we are bothered by invaders and agitators, even in a minor way. We will respond firmly in the style of a ruthless holy war for justice and unification,” Kim Jong-un said, in his New Year's address.

How the Saudi king benefits from a cleric’s execution

The execution of Nimr sends multiple signals within the kingdom. The most significant is a get-tough message to all, coupled with an assurance to the Iranians that King Salman is firmly in control, and able to further prosecute the open-ended war in Yemen.