A ‘New Compact’ With Saudi Arabia Is a Terrible Idea

Steven Cook and Martin Indyk urge Biden to bind the US even more tightly to Saudi Arabia:Biden should instead consider a more fundamental reconceptualization of the bilateral relationship. What both countries need is a new compact that focuses on countering a major...

The Insane ‘Option’ of Attacking Iran

Eric Brewer argues that Iran’s shorter “breakout” time to acquiring enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon requires the U.S. to be ready to attack much more quickly:The most impactful step the United States could take, however, would be to shorten military...

Venezuela and the ‘Politics of Pain’

William Neuman makes a compelling case for lifting broad sanctions on Venezuela:The oil embargo and other general sanctions targeting the economy are deeply unpopular in Venezuela. Many opposition politicians have come out against them, although Guaidó and some...

Venezuela and the ‘Politics of Pain’

William Neuman makes a compelling case for lifting broad sanctions on Venezuela:The oil embargo and other general sanctions targeting the economy are deeply unpopular in Venezuela. Many opposition politicians have come out against them, although Guaidó and some...

Our Irrational Iran Policy

Michael Hirsh frames the failure of U.S. Iran policy this way:After more than two decades of failed policies – fluctuating wildly between confrontation and cooperation – Washington and the West still find themselves facing down a hostile Iran.US policy has not been...

Biden Blows It: Iran Guards To Remain on Terror Blacklist

Nahal Toosi reports that Biden decided against removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the list of foreign terrorist organizations at least a month ago:President Joe Biden has finalized his decision to keep Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps...

The Politics of the Iran Nuclear Deal

Michael Hirsh reports on the lingering toxic effects of Trump’s foreign policy decisions, including the decision to renege on the nuclear deal. Biden’s timidity on reversing Trump’s policy has left many observers baffled:“The decision-making process in the...

Biden Escalates in Somalia

Biden is sending more troops back into one of the endless wars:President Biden has signed an order authorizing the military to once again deploy hundreds of Special Operations forces inside Somalia – largely reversing the decision by President Donald J. Trump to...

Robert Kaplan’s Obscene Cheerleading for Saudi Arabia

It would be tempting to view Robert Kaplan’s op-ed for Bloomberg this week as an April Fools’ prank, but unfortunately he seems to be serious:The fight is for something broader and more fundamental: the right of peoples the world over to determine their own futures...