The Russian Blitzkrieg on Aleppo Is a Direct Challenge to Washington
The Syrian cease-fire was already in tatters. But the new offensive is also early preparation for a hawkish Clinton presidency. What are we to make of events in Syria now that Secretary of State Kerry’s latest (and very possibly last)…
The Failed Ceasefire in Syria Now Leave Russia in Charge
Now that Secretary of State Kerry’s latest effort to forge a ceasefire in Syria is in ruins, he was right about at least one thing: That was the Obama administration’s last, best hope to lead warring sides toward a settlement….
Why the Kerry-Lavrov Syrian Ceasefire–the 9th Try–Better Hold
After a long walk on a stony path in the wee hours of Saturday in Geneva, Secretary of State John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, finally reached a Syrian ceasefire agreement – again. A week-long “cessation of hostilities”…
As US Clout in the Mideast Declines, Russia and Iran Muscle In
It has long been clear that the Obama administration will hand its successor a dangerous mess in the Middle East, centering on Syria and emanating outward. Is it now ceding so much initiative that it risks delivering the next president…
Obama Faces Painful Choice in Syria as Peace Talks Falter
Following the ceasefire in Syria negotiated a month ago by Washington and Moscow, Secretary of State John Kerry must now work out a long-term settlement in Syria. Any agreement involves not only the Assad regime and the Russians — a…
A Lame UN Peace Plan for Syria Is Quickly Eclipsed by Saudi Arabia
The U.N. Security Council finally passed a resolution Friday authorizing a plan to end the war that has torn Syria to shreds. Does this open a new, decisive chapter in the four-year crisis? Or will it turn out to be…
In a Single Weekend, Tragedy in Paris, a Sign of Hope in Vienna
Buried in all the moving, hard-to-fathom accounts of the savage assaults in Paris Friday are a few home truths. French President François Hollande didn’t hesitate to term the attacks an act of war, and he’s sadly right: The terrorists’ war…
Defense and State In a Tug of War Over Obama’s Syria Policy
For many of us, the news last week that President Obama is sending U.S. Special Forces to Syria to oversee the training of Syrian rebels fighting ISIS is confusing. It begs the question—what exactly is the Obama administration’s policy, strategy,…
Obama Iran Doctrine: Get the Deal You Can, Not the Deal You Want
Amid all the questions already raised about the Obama administration’s deal governing Iran’s nuclear program, we know this much already: It won’t be as hard to sell this on Capitol Hill as it was getting Tehran to come to terms,…
Kerry-Putin Talks Could Deliver a Global Surprise
At 8:12 a.m. last Tuesday, Secretary of State Kerry Tweeted from Sochi, the Black Sea resort, with this mind-blower: “Had frank discussions with President #Putin& FM #Lavrov on key issues including #IranTalks, #Syria, #Ukraine.” In 140 characters and a photograph,…
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