What does the Ahmadinejad victory in the Iranian election mean for U.S. diplomatic efforts to engage Iran? According to this analysis from Mark Fitzpatrick, Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, it means efforts will be complicated with long-term prospects looking rather grim: I’m surprised at the regime’s audacity in declaring […]
The Washington Post reports that the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — the U.S., France, Britain, Russia, and China — along with Japan and South Korea “reached agreement Wednesday on a draft U.N. resolution that condemns North Korea’s recent underground nuclear test and imposes additional military, financial and trade sanctions on the […]
This post is not about foreign policy, it’s about business, but it’s still about the U.S. role in the world. My question today is: Do American companies have a responsibility to be representatives of American values when they operate internationally? This question has often been posed in relation to pollution and environmental protection, labor practices, […]
If you’ve not had a chance to watch President Obama’s speech in Cairo, I recommend this site from The New York Times. They’ve placed the video of the speech alongside the text, which makes it easy to follow along, and then if you would like to share your reaction in our comments, we would like […]
It may come to be known as the “new begininngs” speech. The speech that Barack Obama delivered today at Cairo University was probably not his best speech, but it may be his most important and most widely disseminated ever. The U.S. government distributed it immediately in many languages, it was broadcast live in its entirety […]
President Obama has embarked on an important trip abroad, with stops in Saudi Arabia, Germany, France and Egypt. The highlight of the trip is expected to be his speech in Egypt, which the White House is promoting as an address to the Muslim world. The speech has raised expectations and there is no shortage of […]
As President Obama embarks for Riyadh and Cairo this evening, the “scene setters” appear: the BBC headlines “what could be one of the most important speeches of his presidency”; America’s own NPR features a pre-departure interview focused on the Cairo speech as a “high-profile opportunity to reshape America’s image among Muslim countries.” We’re all familiar […]
A quick recap for those just joining us: On October 6, 2006 North Korea exploded its first nuclear weapon. This past week, it conducted an underground nuclear test and missile launches provoking international condemnation and raising tensions (and military alert levels) in the region. Satellite surveillance suggests it may have restarted its Yongbyon reactor (and […]
We often get reminders that a new Administration in Washington means new leadership at U.S. Embassies overseas. Within a year of taking office, an incoming President generally will have nominated (and the Senate approved) new Ambassadors for all major overseas postings. In many foreign government establishments, these appointments are highly anticipated events, more closely watched […]
I’ve been trying to catch up on news and events after being away for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and it appears that North Korea’s provocative nuclear test and subsequent missile launches are high on the agenda. This video from the UK’s Telegraph shows President Obama responding to the recent nuclear test: President Obama reaffirmed […]
On this Memorial Day, the U.S. Role blog would like to salute the men and women of the U.S. armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country. Because this blog is specifically devoted to the U.S. role in the world, I would like to honor those who are buried far […]
It was said during the presidential campaign that closing the Guantanamo detention center was one of the things the new president could do to immediately change the view of the U.S. role in the world for the better. After his election victory, President Obama immediately signed an executive order to do just that (I think […]
The meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is now history, and it appears that both leaders gained something from the meeting. President Obama secured assurances from the Israeli leader that new peace talks will begin soon and Prime Minister Netanyahu won a timetable for progress on dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. Despite […]
President Obama will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today at the White House. The Mideast peace process will be on the agenda, though as this report points out, the two leaders bring two very different agendas to the table: Israel’s new conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, comes to the White House Monday set on […]
Further evidence that President Obama is prepared to take some political heat at home in order to improve America’s standing abroad comes in the form of his decision on torture photos. Obama said on Wednesday that publishing additional pictures, taken by U.S. servicemen in Iraq, similar to those previously published from the Abu Ghraib prison, […]