Foreign Policy Blogs

Global Engagement

“The Two-State Solution Just Died, Mr. President”

“The Two-State Solution Just Died, Mr. President”


UNITED NATIONS – On the final day of a three month deadline set by the Quartet – Brussels, Washington, Moscow and the UN – for Israelis and Palestinians to resume bilateral peace talks, Israeli attorney Daniel Seidemann convened an exclusive briefing with the …

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The Gospel According to Paul

The Gospel According to Paul

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has amassed a loyal legion of followers. Congressman Paul’s libertarian-leaning views on domestic issues seem to resonate with many voters. For the record, I like Congressman Paul. However, his views on foreign policy are very skewed. Nevertheless, Paul’s isolationist rhetoric …

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US Counterterrorism Law May “Backfire”: UN

US Counterterrorism Law May “Backfire”: UN

On New Year’s Eve, President Barack Obama signed into law the post-9/11 practice of detaining terrorist suspects indefinitely without charge. Shock and awe waves rippled through the blogosphere in response to the move, not least because Obama had threatened to veto an earlier version of the bill. Other grumbles included …

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History On Our Side?

History On Our Side?

In October, the War in Afghanistan reached its 10-year anniversary. Our invasion of Afghanistan was launched as a direct result of the events of 9/11, with a goal to eradicate Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the various terrorist factions based there. Rushing headlong into …

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Arab Spring: Winners and Losers in 2011

Arab Spring: Winners and Losers in 2011

It is still too early to determine which Arab Spring countries will eventually become successes in their government reforms and transitions and which stagnate or descend into chaos.
Tunisia. With a homogeneous and well-educated citizenry, distaste for Islamist extremism, and recent free and fair elections, Tunisia stands the most to gain …

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2011 – A Tumultuous Year

2011 – A Tumultuous Year

The year 2011 has been marked by a continued, if not official, recession in the U.S., while other Western nations have turned to austerity measures to fight off national bankruptcy. Developing African states have suffered through famine and extreme violence, while the youth in the Middle East have raised their …

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2011 – An Unexceptional Year for American Exceptionalism?

2011 – An Unexceptional Year for American Exceptionalism?


2011 evidenced our inability to predict substantial change and respond to tumultuous events. The ramifications of foreign policy decisions will not show their true colors for some time. Below, I discuss notable states – Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Cuba, Burma, Ivory Coast, Norway, Israel, and Palestine – that I …

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International Development: Shifting Our Focus From iGenius to eDevelopment

International Development: Shifting Our Focus From iGenius to eDevelopment

“Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons”
~ R. Buckminster Fuller
Much has been made about how the late technology giant Steve Job “changed our lives”. The Discovery Channel, not to be outdone by all the media hoopla surrounding his death, will air a one-hour documentary on …

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NATO: Lessons Learned in Libya

NATO: Lessons Learned in Libya


Operation Unified Protector, NATO’s mission in Libya, is winding down. Claiming victory, the Obama administration is chiding those who opposed U.S. involvement. While NATO has succeeded in preventing Muammar Qadhafi from further targeting civilians, the mission has exposed a significant alliance weakness: the unfair sharing …

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Wake up, America!

Wake up, America!

I had just returned to the States from a relatively innocuous tour in The Bahamas as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. The most personally significant event during my time in Nassau was meeting and marrying my Romanian-born wife. My onward assignment was to …

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“If You Are Not Part of the Solution…” – Why UN Peacekeeping Needs an Overhaul

“If You Are Not Part of the Solution…” – Why UN Peacekeeping Needs an Overhaul

It is often said that peacekeeping is a growth industry. However, this should never preclude the United Nations from finding a better way to do business. Since 1948, the UN has established 64 peacekeeping operations with undoubtedly more planned for the future, as nation-states such as …

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“If I Can’t Have You the Way I Want You, I Quit”

“If I Can’t Have You the Way I Want You, I Quit”

While the world’s focus was turned on America’s debt fiasco, over the past few weeks the sun has begun to shine from behind the clouds that have hovered over the Korean peninsula for the last year. On July 29, Special Representative for North Korean Policy, Stephen …

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Links from Around the Web: Egypt

Links from Around the Web: Egypt

Coca-Cola Commercial – Lyrics: We have sworn to erase the impossible/ It should be
hope, or no other alternative/ No matter how long they say the night is/ There
is no sleep, when it is time for seriousness/ Make tomorrow better, with your
hands, you will defy the clouds/ Make …

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Rock the Casbah: Rage, Rap & Revolution

Rock the Casbah: Rage, Rap & Revolution

Robin Wright of the US Institute of Peace has a new book on the role of culture in both reflecting and inspiring this year’s uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa. Rock the Casbah, released earlier this month by

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Aid Britannia: Aspirations vs. Politics

Aid Britannia: Aspirations vs. Politics

 The Economist recently ran an article that highlights the tension between spending on foreign assistance and domestic political support for it.  Prime Minister David Cameron, who ran on a platform supporting more aid and has insulated it from the cuts he has levied on almost every other …

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