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...
The Painfully Stupid Hawkish Opposition to the Nuclear Deal
It didn’t seem possible, but Iran hawks’ arguments against the nuclear deal are becoming dumber than ever. Here is Bret Stephens peddling false information and drawing the most absurd conclusions about the possible revival of the agreement:But with or without the...