WASHINGTON — “Bush was right” is not a view frequently expressed in the New York Times. But, there it was, in Thomas Friedman’s March 10 column: “Former President George W. Bush’s gut instinct that this region craved and needed democracy was always right.”
Friedman was referring to … Continue Reading…
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — When Aleksander Lukashenko, the authoritarian president of Belarus, recently began a campaign to intimidate and punish members of the country’s disobedient Polish community, he opened a new front not only with neighboring Poland, but also with the EU as a whole. That challenge must now be met … Continue Reading…
BRUSSELS — The mood on China in Western capitals is beginning to darken. From cyber-attacks to obstinacy in Copenhagen, Beijing’s assertiveness and the hardening tone of its diplomacy are prompting a rethink. If the competitive aspects of the relationship with China are going to dominate in the years ahead, have … Continue Reading…
WASHINGTON — Israel last week submitted its response to the UN’s Goldstone Report. That report investigated the conduct of Israel and Hamas during the Gaza war in January 2009, accusing both sides of war crimes. It recommended resorting to the International Criminal Court if the sides failed to investigate the … Continue Reading…
WASHINGTON — World leaders meeting in London to discuss Afghanistan’s future have dealt themselves a weak hand. The principal obstacles to success in Afghanistan have not been the adversary’s strength or any lack of support for the international mission by the Afghan public. Rather, the primary obstacles to victory have … Continue Reading…
WASHINGTON — In the early 2000s, the issue of Muslim schoolgirls, teachers, and civil servants wearing headscarves in public institutions and schools was a heated national debate in France and a source of discussion and controversy around the world. In 2009, President Nicholas Sarkozy rekindled the flames of that debate … Continue Reading…
WASHINGTON — There are two sets of policy issues emanating from the rubble and horror of Port-au-Prince: “Whither Haiti?” and “Whither relief aid?”
With Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah visiting the country, most of the attention is on the first question. Is there, policymakers are asking, … Continue Reading…
BERLIN — One year after taking office, President Obama’s polls have plummeted, unemployment is at 10 percent, the loss of Ted Kennedy’s Massachusetts Senate seat endangers the administration’s health care reforms, and Iran has rejected a deal that would allow it to enrich uranium abroad. All of that is bad … Continue Reading…
WASHINGTON — One year after President Obama assumed office, 55 percent of Americans think their country is on the wrong track, according to National Journal. Sixty-one percent believe their country is in decline, according to NBC and The Wall Street Journal. Half the American public, according to Pew, embraces the … Continue Reading…
WASHINGTON – On December 1, 2009, President Barack Obama announced the United States will increase its military commitment as well as civilian engagement in Afghanistan. The President’s announcement has already resulted in the allocation of more than 5,000 additional European troops and trainers for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) effort. … Continue Reading…