POWER GAMES: IPS's Coverage of Global Geopolitics / IPS Inter Press Service

IPS Correspondent Gareth Porter talks to Real News.

The U.S. military establishment believed they could easily pressure President Obama to back down on his pledge to withdraw troops from Iraq within 16 months. Having found Obama unconvinced by their argument, they have now launched a campaign in Washington to blame Obama's withdrawal policy for any future instability in Iraq.

US-CHINA: Trade War Heats Up
By Eli Clifton
WASHINGTON - Relations between Beijing and Washington have been far from smooth since the beginning of the year.
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DISARMAMENT: Despite Recession, Global Arms Race Spirals
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS - The global financial crisis has not deterred some of the world's developed and developing nations from bolstering their military arsenals with expensive new weapons systems, including sophisticated fighter planes, combat helicopters, submarines, armoured vehicles and air defence systems.
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US-TURKEY: Armenian Genocide Vote Threatens Ties at Key Moment
By Jim Lobe*
WASHINGTON - Thursday's vote by a Congressional committee condemning the deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians during World War I as "genocide" is almost certain to complicate U.S. ties with Turkey, a long-time strategic ally and increasingly influential player in the Middle East and central and southwest Asia.
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US-IRAN: Debate Over Military Action Against Iran Gains Steam
By Jim Lobe*
WASHINGTON - While the ongoing U.S. military "surge" in Afghanistan continues to capture the headlines, Iran's nuclear programme – and how best to deal with it – is rapidly emerging here as this year's biggest foreign policy challenge.
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US-IRAN: How Was Rigi Arrested?
By Mohammed A. Salih
WASHINGTON - New details of the arrest of the Jundullah leader, Abdolmalek Rigi, partly corroborate and partly contradict the initial narrative given by Iranian officials for his arrest.
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POLITICS: What Will China Do With Its Veto?
By Mohammed A. Salih and Eli Clifton
WASHINGTON - With relations between China and the U.S. taking some bitter turns in recent months, how China responds to mounting pressure from the U.S. and its European allies for tougher sanctions on Iran is being viewed as a major test of the current relations and a determinant of the future shape of bilateral ties between Washington and Beijing.
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POLITICS: Jailed Taliban Leader Still a Pakistani Asset
By Gareth Porter*
WASHINGTON - Contrary to initial U.S. suggestions that it signals reduced Pakistani support for the Taliban, the detention of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the operational leader of the Afghan Taliban, represents a shift by Pakistan to more open support for the Taliban in preparation for a peace settlement and U.S. withdrawal.
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SYRIA: U.S. Starts Normalisation Process in Earnest
By Charles Fromm and Jim Lobe
WASHINGTON - After months of delay, the administration of President Barack Obama is taking major steps engage the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as part of a broader regional strategy designed in major part to isolate Iran, escalate the fight against al Qaeda and other radical Sunni groups, and encourage peace talks with Israel.
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POLITICS: U.S. Steps Up Sanctions Diplomacy Against Iran
By Mohammed A. Salih
WASHINGTON - Faced with an increasingly impatient Congress and a defiant government in Tehran, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is currently stepping up its diplomatic efforts in the Middle East as it seeks to prepare the ground for tougher sanctions on Iran.
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CANADA: Foundation for "Political Warfare" Takes Cue from U.S. Strategy
By Anthony Fenton
VANCOUVER - Indicating further integration with its closest neighbour and ally's foreign policy priorities, the Canadian government is in the advanced stages of establishing a foundation to promote liberal democracy, akin to the controversial U.S. National Endowment for Democracy.
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PERU-CHINA: Social Responsibility Missing in Growing Trade Ties
By Milagros Salazar
LIMA - China has become Peru's second largest trade partner, with interests basically in mining and oil. However, it is viewed with caution by this Andean nation, because the Asian giant has a reputation for flouting environmental standards and labour rights.
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POLITICS: Iran and U.S. Moving in Circles?
Analysis by Mohammed A. Salih
WASHINGTON - The recent expansion of U.S. missile defence systems in the Persian Gulf just days after President Barack Obama warned Iran of "growing consequences" if it did not accept the West's conditions over its nuclear programme signals a possible change of approach by Washington even as uncertainty still prevails how it will deal with Iran eventually.
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PAKISTAN: Police Pay Heavy Toll in Fight Against Terrorism
By Ashfaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - As the frontline province in Pakistan’s war against terrorism, the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) has been bearing the brunt of the soaring militancy in the country through massive loss of life and property.
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Is the world dominated by three great empires -- the U.S.A, China and the European Union? How much power do the great behemoths of the south -- India, Brazil, and South Africa -- wield? And where does Russia fit in that equation?

Are we in the middle of a new Cold War? What are the implications of the armed conflict with Georgia? What about the new axis: Venezuela-Russia? And what role does Turkey play?

What about issues like Climate Change and other global forces like the food crisis and the high energy prices? How is all this reshaping the world's forces?

IPS looks for some answers.