The two biggest developments in U.S. foreign policy this year were the Obama Administration’s efforts to lower the American profile in the greater Middle East and initiate a strategic refocus on the Pacific region. Regarding the former, this trend was most evident through the administration’s decisions to step back from …
If you are a follower of foreign affairs, you are likely aware of the Obama Administration’s decision to table the Keystone XL pipeline deal until after the 2012 election. Because the project is an important bilateral commercial deal with implications for American energy security, I thought I’d briefly comment …
Vladimir Putin, the once and future Russian president, made waves recently in an article he published in Izvestia about the desirability of a “Eurasian Union”, which would deepen and build upon the existing customs union involving Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and potentially expanding to include Tajikistan and Kyrgyz …
A lot of really strange analysis has been coming out on the subject of Obama Administration foreign policy following the apparant toppling of the Ghaddafi regime in Libya. Broadly criticized by opinion leaders of the left and right on his Libya policy until recently, it seems that many decided this …
In case you missed it, the U.S., along with the European Union and Mexico, won an important ruling at the World Trade Organization earlier this week. The parties had lodged complaints against China, whom they accused of unfairly restricting exportation of a variety of key raw …
The problem with President Obama’s “Remarks on the Middle East and North Africa” is that it is already being regarded by almost everyone as a speech on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This is a shame because it wasn’t what the speech should have been about (and actually otherwise was …
So, I was wrong – sort of. In an earlier post on the subject of NATO, I suggested that it was possible (though not certain) that Afghanistan could be NATO’s last big joint operation if the alliance did not undertake some form of mission revision. My reasoning was simple: …
The “Arab Revolt of 2011” continues to roil, and events are moving so quickly that the Egyptian Revolution that so shocked the world has already mostly fallen to a secondary headline following reports of what is effectively a civil war and humanitarian crisis in neighboring Libya. And yet, Egypt still …
To be fair, the White House was clear that President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday would not be focused on foreign policy, and so the basically-perfunctory treatment of international issues during the speech was not much of a surprise. Obama is clearly more focused on domestic policy …
I had an opportunity to preview a new documentary that will premier on PBS entitled, After the Wall: A World United, which focuses on the political challenges that had to be overcome in order to reunify Germany at the end of the Cold War. It’s a fascinating look at one …
Today the U.S. Senate will finally take up New START. There will be a lot of activity on this issue until the final vote as amendments are considered. Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) believe they have enough votes to secure passage (which is to …
A bit of good news on the diplomatic front: The U.S. has persuaded Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko (known as Europe’s Last Dictator) to give up its stocks of highly enriched uranium (HEU). This is a significant win because Belarus has been a difficult country to deal …
If you are looking for an illuminating bit of commentary on U.S.-North Korean relations in light of the North’s recent shelling of its southern neighbor from someone who knows quite a bit about the subject, check out this clip of CSIS’ Michael Green on Washington Journal, courtesy of …
This past Tuesday, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) came out against the consideration of New START during the lame duck session stating his desire for greater assurances of support from the Obama Administration for the modernization of U.S. nuclear labs and protection from limitations on U.S. missile defense programs. …
Something strange happened at the UN this past week: Canada ran for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council and, for the first time in more than 50 years, didn’t get it. Stranger still? It seems the Obama Administration did not actively campaign on behalf of the U.S.’ Neighbor to …
