I’ve been enthralled with watching the demonstrators in Cairo, it’s been amazing. According to most reports and analysis that I’m familiar with, the demonstrators are standing up for their humans rights, for democratic rights, and standing against oppression and corruption. The revolt has been inspired by lack of jobs and by the frustration of an […]
Among all the articles about the Middle East over the past two weeks, these three jumped out at me as being highly relevant for U.S. global engagement strategy. 1. Amid Arab protests, U.S. influence has waned by Liz Sly in the Washington Post. The old ways won’t work anymore and if the U.S. seeks to […]
It’s been interesting watching the evolution of the U.S. role in dealing with the crisis in Egypt. It’s clear that the U.S. was taken by surprise by the pace of events. Sure, Tunisia was a warning, but Egypt is not Tunisia and few expected revolution in Egypt. At the outset, the Obama team took a […]
NOTE: This post was co-authored by guest blogger, Robert R. Gosende. Mr. Gosende is a retired Foreign Service Officer who now serves as the John W. Ryan Fellow in International Education at the University at Albany. He was President Clinton’s Special Envoy for Somalia in 1992. —————————————————————————————————————————————— In case you weren’t paying attention before, the […]
I have to admit that I feel very conflicted about this week’s State of the Union speech by President Obama. On the one hand, I was greatly impressed with the inspirational and uplifting tone of the speech. The White House went to great pains in advance of the speech to signal that it would be […]
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 than foreign affairs, but in […]
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust Why do American foreign policy decision makers and diplomats continue to misjudge the political character of Latin America and the Caribbean? Our understanding (really our misunderstanding) of the socio-political landscape of this region traps us into supporting […]
Today we marked the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. I have to admit to certain amount of awe at that period of history called Camelot. From this more cynical present I find it amazing that there was a time not so long ago in our past in which idealism was […]
President Obama visited Tucson last night to attend a memorial service for those killed and injured in Saturday’s shooting rampage. I hope you will forgive the departure from our usual “U.S. Role in the World” focus as I note this decidedly domestic event. As a resident and native of Tucson it’s a subject that I […]
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 of the most critical events […]
The Pentagon announced this week that more Marines will be heading to Afghanistan to help maintain momentum there as Obama continues with his surge policy with the long-term goal of withdrawing American forces: The United States will send more than 1,000 additional Marines to Afghanistan this month to try to solidify progress in the south […]
Yesterday the Associated Press ran an interesting article on President Obama’s plans to increase engagement with Africa in 2011. President Barack Obama is quietly but strategically stepping up his outreach to Africa, using this year to increase his engagement with a continent that is personally meaningful to him and important to U.S. interests. Expectations in […]
Last night 60 Minutes (a TV news program in the U.S.) had an excellent two-part presentation on Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) Orchestra. The followed the band’s trips to London and Havana, where they engaged in cultural diplomacy of the highest order. What made the JALC trip to Havana so interesting […]
“Our own national security toolbox must be well-equipped with more than just hammers.” Robert Gates, US Secretary of Defense US Defense Secretary Robert Gates understands that the challenges America will face in an increasingly multi-polar 21st century require capabilities that extend beyond traditional combat operations. The U.S. military increasingly finds itself ordered to support peacekeeping, […]
All the FPA bloggers have been asked to write a Year in Review post that considers the events of the year and looks forward to the new year. It’s a daunting task, especially with a topic as expansive as the U.S. role in the world. What to focus on? This year has seen many notable […]