Nick Lloyd is a British geographer who works tirelessly to reveal the hidden history of the Spanish Civil War in Barcelona. He leads tours through the city that are captivating despite the grim topic, earning the well-deserved reputation of being a “living museum” of the conflict. Here is my story at Arc Digital on Lloyd, his work, and why many in Spain still want to ignore one of the worst wars of the 20th Century.
From the archives: My article on Trinity, the world’s first atomic bomb, tested on this day 72 years ago.
In probably the most statesman-like speech of his presidency, Donald Trump on Sunday called on Muslim nations to unite behind the cause of defeating Islamic extremists around the world. But he didn’t stop there: He called out Iran as the leading state sponsor of terrorism. That’s a theme that preceded his address before and during his time in Saudi Arabia. My column for NRT English examines how Trump wants to change the narrative about Iran, not about his political woes.
According to the Associated Press, White House and Iraqi government officials are quietly negotiating increasing the number of U.S. troops deployed to Iraq — a reversal after both the Bush and Obama administrations reduced U.S. forces there.
The attitude can be summed up in a simple phrase now popular with the Trump administration national security team: The U.S. left Iraq too soon. The withdrawal of U.S. troops six years ago authorized under the 2008 Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Iraqi governments led to political chaos and gave Daesh the opportunity to launch its insurgency.
My recent column for NRT English explores the questions raised by this development and continues my coverage of the issue.
It’s not about cr
uise missile strikes or Strykers rumbling into Daesh-held towns. Wherever the United States goes in the Middle East it plants its flag — and that means bases that allow U.S. fighting men and women to operate in places like northern Iraq and Syria. Here is my article on the inevitability of more U.S. bases in Iraqi Kurdistan. It’s my latest column for NRT English.
The Pen and The Sword 