From the Wires
Rice Replaces Donilon as Obama’s Top Foreign Policy Adviser
Jim Lobe and Thalif Deen | Posted: June 06, 2013
Susan Rice, President Obama’s new National Security Adviser, and Samantha Power, the administration’s new nominee for UN ambassador, are both firmly committed to the principles of “humanitarian” intervention.
More Sanctions, More Problems
Usha Sahay and Laicie Heeley | Posted: June 05, 2013
Because lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran requires legislative action that Congress is unlikely to take no matter what steps Iran’s leaders make, analysts say the Iranian regime has less incentive than ever to halt its nuclear enrichment.
Little Support in Washington for Kerry’s Mideast Efforts
Mitchell Plitnick | Posted: May 24, 2013
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's recent push to resume Israeli-Palestinian negotiations has received almost no support from Congress, which has largely ignored the issue even as it has drifted to the right.
U.S. Congress Moves Toward Full Trade Embargo on Iran
Jim Lobe | Posted: May 23, 2013
As the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to back Israel in the event of a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran, the House Foreign Affairs Committee moved closer to imposing a full trade embargo on Iran and the countries who trade with it.
Nuclear Iran Unlikely to Tilt Regional Power Balance – Report
Jim Lobe and Joe Hitchon | Posted: May 18, 2013
A new report by the Rand Corporation argues that while a nuclear-armed Iran might raise tensions among the country’s Sunni neighbors, it would be extremely unlikely to use the weapons offensively or transfer them to proxies.
Framing Iran: Media Coverage Echoes Some Iraq Problems
Posted: May 16, 2013
An examination of media coverage of Iran's nuclear enrichment program reveals a tendency by mainstream outlets to frame the issue according to the statements of government officials to the exclusion of alternative voices—a trend also observed during the run-up to the Iraq war.
Despite Horrific Repression, the U.S. Should Stay Out of Syria
Stephen Zunes | Posted: May 15, 2013
Syria's simmering sectarian tensions and increasingly extreme rebel movement make even a large-scale U.S. intervention unlikely to restore stability to the country.
Benghazi, Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy: America’s Broken System
James A. Russell | Posted: May 14, 2013
The much-publicized hearings over the Benghazi fiasco have neglected to examine the proper balance of security and flexibility for America's diplomats—or the limitations of military intervention as a tool for improving security environments.
Nuclear Iran Can Be Contained and Deterred: Report
Jim Lobe | Posted: May 14, 2013
A report by the Center for a New American Security, a national security think tank close to the Obama administration, argues that the United States has a plethora of viable strategies—including deterrence—to manage the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
Decade After Iraq, Right-Wing and Liberal Hawks Reunite Over Syria
Jim Lobe | Posted: May 08, 2013
Ten years after right-wing and liberal hawks came together to push the U.S. into invading Iraq, key members of the two groups appear to be reuniting behind stronger U.S. military intervention in Syria.
Europe Urged to Step into Breach of Failed Mideast Peace
Mitchell Plitnick | Posted: May 07, 2013
A group of former European leaders is urging the EU to sidestep the stalled U.S.-backed Israeli-Palestinian peace process and take a strong stance against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.
Obama Seen Unlikely to Sharply Escalate Intervention in Syria
Jim Lobe | Posted: May 04, 2013
The Assad regime's alleged use of chemical weapons has led to calls for increased U.S. assistance to rebels, but lingering doubts in Washington about intervention means assistance will likely remain limited.
Israel Unlikely to Stay on Syrian Sidelines for Much Longer
Mitchell Plitnick | Posted: May 01, 2013
Although Israel has thus far appeared reluctant to intervene in Syria's civil war, some analysts believe that increased Hezbollah activity in the Syrian conflict could eventually draw the Israelis in.
Some Hear Death Knell for a Two-State Solution
Mitchell Plitnick | Posted: April 30, 2013
John Kerry and the Obama administration have placed renewed attention on the Middle East and Israeli-Palestinian peace process, but some analysts think their efforts are too little and too late .
Washington’s Nuclear Hypocrisy
Michael Walker | Posted: April 29, 2013
At the same time that the United States vilifies North Korea and Iran for their nuclear programs, it remains silent about the atomic weapons of its friends.
Kerry’s Mideast Trip Seen as “Going Through the Motions”
Mitchell Plitnick | Posted: April 19, 2013
Although several Obama administration officials have visited the Middle East in recent months, many analysts believe the administration has given up on negotiating an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement with the current Israeli government.
More Diplomacy, Less Pressure Needed for Iran Settlement – Report
Jim Lobe | Posted: April 17, 2013
Even as 'pro-Israel' advocacy groups press for harsher sanctions on Iran, an emerging think tank consensus in Washington emphasizes bolstering diplomatic efforts long neglected because of Congress’s focus on military force and crippling sanctions.
Hunger Strikes Put Guantanamo Back in the Spotlight
Joe Hitchon | Posted: April 17, 2013
A compelling op-ed published by a Guantanamo detainee on hunger strike has helped spur renewed scrutiny of the Obama administration's failure to close the detention facility.
Libya Intervention More Questionable in Rear View Mirror
Jim Lobe | Posted: April 05, 2013
The NATO intervention in Libya left behind an unstable state and helped to spread Libyan arms into conflicts throughout the region, but it may have wrought its most consequential damage on great-power relations.
UN Greenlights Long-Awaited Arms Trade Treaty
George Gao | Posted: April 02, 2013
Over the opposition of a tiny group of recalcitrant states as well as lobbies like the NRA, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to approve new controls on the international arms trade.
New Profiles
Loyola, Mario
Mario Loyola, a frequent contributor to the National Review, champions U.S. preemptive war, especially in the Middle East.
Hayden, Michael
Former CIA director Michael Hayden has been a stalwart advocate of the Bush record on torture and warrantless wiretapping.
Wieseltier, Leon
Leon Wieseltier, the literary editor of the New Republic and a harsh critic of Obama administration’s Middle East policy, has frequently pushed for U.S. military intervention in the Middle East.
Abrams, Rachel (1951-2013)
Rachel Abrams was a member of a well-established neoconservative family who blogged for the Weekly Standard and served as a board member of the Emergency Committee for Israel.
Rubin, Jennifer
Jennifer Rubin is a blogger at the Washington Post who is notorious for her anti-liberal invective and “pro-Israel” advocacy.