I stumbled upon a website called “The World Wants Obama,” dedicated to documenting evidence of Senator Obama's support abroad (the group is also extensively on Facebook and YouTube). The group's manifesto is worth reading: “Although Americans have done many positive things around the world, the US government – once the champion of anti-colonialism and self-determination – […]
If you are at all interested in the field of journalism you might enjoy reading this interview with David Marash in the Columbia Journalism Review. But his story is one that appeals to us followers of US foreign policy as well. Marash, formerly a “Nightline” correspondent, took a job in 2006 with Al Jazera English, the English-language version […]
San Franciscans know that their politics are far from the ordinary, and most residents accept and defend their city's reputation for pushing the limits as an extension of free speech. Yesterday, however, the city had occasion not only to be liberal-minded but also smart. In one of his better decisions (and he's made several bad […]
FP Passport's editor, Blake Hounshell, strongly criticizes President Bush for failing diplomacy 101, "a game of give-and-take in which trading away concessions allows you to get what you want on your top priorities." Blake's post articulates a number of policies the United States is pursuing and Russia stands against (of which we've mentioned on this […]
If you were President of Iran, who would you most like in the Oval Office? There is, clearly, much up for discussion: Iraq, nuclear proliferation, economic sanctions, peace in the Middle East, the list goes on. Last month Iranian President gave us a glimpse of his preferences when he officially retracted his “alleged” support for […]
After five years of conflict, 4,000 U.S. military deaths, $800 billion in military spending, and tattered relations within what once was called the “coalition of the willing,” General David Petraeus told Congress today that the results of the “surge” in Iraq were “fragile and reversible.” His statement, replete with charts, was as candid and direct […]
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrote in today's Wall Street Journal on the free trade proposal with Columbia: "It is not every day that our government, with one bold stroke, could strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. workers; support a democratic ally on the cusp of achieving lasting national success; weaken those who would sow instability […]
FPA's Public Diplomacy blog published today a post about an author who was quite critical of the Bush administration's conduct of foreign policy. Fred Kaplan gave the next US president advice on how to “undo the damage” done by the Bush administration. This post reviews another article critical of President Bush's diplomatic practices. Timothy Garton […]
Last week the online magazine Slate published a series called “Fixing It“‚ ten articles offering detailed policy prescriptions for the next US president on how to undo what they identify as damage caused by the Bush administration. Slate asked their international affairs columnist, Fred Kaplan, a former Congressional foreign policy adviser, to give the next […]
As many readers know, when a President makes a foreign trip, a battalion of security, logistics, protocol and media personnel precede and accompany Air Force One. Having witnessed and participated in many such visits in my former career as a State Department diplomat, I can attest to the fact that preparations can be overwhelming, especially […]
A new poll conducted for the BBC World Service by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) and the international polling firm GlobeScan shows that for the first time since 2005, global views of the United States have improved. But they’re still not what you would call “good.” From the study's report: “While views of US influence in […]
Former US Ambassador Chas Freeman addressed a conference of the University of Continuing Education Association last week. Before retiring from the Foreign Service Freeman served at posts in nearly every continent and became a specialist in China. Notably, Freeman was Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, from 1989-1992. In 1993,94, he […]
Last week I pointed out an article authored by a British academic, addressing the British public about the errs of voting for John McCain, if Britons were to take to the American polls. Also last week a French academic authored an article about the US Presidential candidates, this time addressing the American public on which candidate Europeans […]
Referring to the dissipating morale of the American cause, Thomas Paine wrote in the winter of 1776 that "these are the times that try men's souls." One might reflect today on Afghanistan as trying NATO's soul. President Bush envisions a new mission for NATO through Afghanistan, while some see the fissure over troops in Afghanistan […]
These days the United Nations seems to be the wealthiest impoverished international bureaucracy around. This week the Washington Times’ UN correspondent Betsy Pisik reported that the UN made one final stride toward beginning a $2 billion renovation project of its headquarters in Manhattan. “The organization will shift some 1,800 employees to a Madison Avenue glass […]