How Obama’s White House Lost Ukraine in a Few Stupid Steps
No one wants to say so, but the Obama administration has backed the wrong horse in Ukraine, and the misguided wager is a big loss. It is hardly the president’s first failure on the foreign side, but it may prove…
Does Putin Want to Carve Up Ukraine and Take the Spoils?
Rich in oil and minerals, the economic benefits would help the Russian economy. As Crimeans voted overwhelmingly Sunday to quit Ukraine and join Russia, Vladimir Putin continued his calibrated campaign to increase the Russian presence in and around Ukraine. The famously…
The Limits of East-West Fusion in Ukraine
For a few days after protesters of varied political stripes and legislators of different motives deposed President Viktor Yanukovych, you could call Ukraine a story of new possibilities. In a weekend, it turned into a story of limits and futility….
Obama Gives Syrian Rebels Sling Shots to Slay the Dragon
Even as the White House asserts that Syrian President Bashar al–Assad has used chemical weapons against rebel insurgents, there are skeptics. The Russians, who support Assad, instantly questioned Washington’s evidence. So, now, do more objective experts who wonder why there…
Will the US Buy Obama’s Plan to end the War Machine?
It’s easy enough to say that President Barack Obama has just announced his intention to end the “war on terror.” This thought is welcome, but it is simply not enough.Obama’s speech at the National Defense University last week has implications…
Obama’s Red Line in Syria Was Drawn in Pencil
Suddenly, the Syria crisis has grown more complicated for the US—and notably for the Obama administration. After many months of staying scrupulously clear of a conflict that has now claimed 80,000 Syrian lives, it looks as though the White House…
Do’s and Don’ts of a Post Qaddafi U.S. Policy
“American aid, not American troops,” President Obama declared from a Martha’s Vineyard vacation house on Monday as news of Tripoli’s fall toinsurgent forces flowed in. In five simple words, the President described a fundamental turn in U.S. policy abroad – a…
The Unwinnable Afghan War: Get Out Now to Save America
It’s supposed to be the dog days of August, but we find ourselves watching global markets on a frightening teeter-totter and waiting for Washington to cobble together a debt deal that may or may not hang together. More tragically, the…
The ‘Arab Spring’ Can Help Cut Defense Spending
If we want to bring our unconscionably wasteful defense spending under control, the place to start is with a fundamentally re-imagined foreign policy that does not require a trillion-dollar military. President Obama’s recent pledge of $2 billion in response to…
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