News
Iran’s New U.N. Ambassador Exploited American Hostages
While posing as a friendly and pragmatic reformer, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stuck a finger in the eye of Washington by appointing a diplomat… Read More
Israel Intercepts Missile Shipment from Iran as U.S. Shortchanges Missile Defense
Last week, Iran was once again caught red-handed shipping arms, including advanced rockets, to Gaza-based Palestinian terrorists. The Israeli navy intercepted the Klos-C, a Panamanian-flagged… Read More
News
Nuland’s Anti-EU Remark: Undiplomatic, but Understandable
Last week, Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs and the top U.S. “diplomat” in our relations with the European Union… Read More
The Obama Administration’s Syria Policy Meltdown
Secretary of State John Kerry admitted that the Obama Administration’s policy on Syria was failing and needed to be changed, according to two Republican Senators…. Read More
Iran: More Sanctions Pressure Needed to Salvage an Acceptable Nuclear Deal
The Obama Administration, which signed an agreement with Iran on Saturday on how to implement its November 24 interim nuclear deal, is now seeking to… Read More
Al-Qaeda Resurges in Iraq
Al-Qaeda, which has surged in strength on both sides of the Iraq–Syria border, captured two important cities in western Iraq on Friday. The seizure of… Read More
Time to Arrest Downward Spiral with India
US Secretary of State John Kerry’s expression of regret over the US arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade is not enough to get relations back… Read More
U.S. Suspends Aid to Syrian Rebels as Islamists Seize Supplies
Washington has suspended nonlethal aid to Syrian rebels after Islamist militants seized warehouses containing U.S.-provided supplies close to the Turkish border, U.S. officials announced Wednesday…. Read More
Q&A on the Iran Nuclear Deal
James Phillips, Heritage’s Senior Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs, gives us his take on the latest deal with Iran. Will the interim agreement stop… Read More
Syria: Obama’s Policy Implosion
The White House has become increasingly defensive about the supposed benefits of its policy zigzags regarding the deepening crisis in Syria. Syria’s humanitarian crisis is… Read More
North Korea Offers Lessons for Iran Nuclear Talks
Recent negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program failed to reach a comprehensive agreement. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, however, remains determined to move forward despite… Read More
Iran Gains Sanctions Relief from the Obama Administration
The Obama Administration, eagerly seeking a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, is now signaling that it will ease the sanctions that finally forced Tehran to… Read More
From Dog’s Breakfast to Effective Communication: Can the BBG Transform Itself?
After years of dysfunction, U.S. international broadcasting might be headed for better times as new members of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) settled into… Read More
SecurityNews
U.S. Allies Voice Alarm over Obama’s Middle East Policies
Saudi Arabia and Israel, two key U.S. allies, have publicly challenged the Obama Administration’s Middle East policies this week and expressed alarm over the unraveling… Read More
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Tweeting for Their Country: Diplomats and World Leaders Warm to Twitter
Twitter is coming of age. Today, the social website will be offering its shares to the public, following in the somewhat faltering footsteps of its… Read More
SecurityNews
Netanyahu: Don’t Be Fooled by Iran’s Rouhani
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday not to fall prey to Iranian President Rouhani’s smooth talk. Netanyahu argued that… Read More
News
The Syrian Off Ramp to Nowhere
President Obama’s speech tonight makes one thing clear: Despite all his bellicose rhetoric, he never wanted to strike Syria in the first place. Yes, he… Read More
Where Was John Kerry on Syria for the Past Six Months?
Secretary of State John Kerry has emerged—perhaps erupted is a better word—as the Obama Administration’s strongest advocate for punitive air strikes against the Assad regime…. Read More
Snowden Asylum Is Burying Obama’s Russian “Reset”
The Kremlin delivered a diplomatic blow to U.S.–Russian relations when Moscow granted former NSA analyst Edward Snowden a temporary political asylum. Now, the White House… Read More
How Many “Friends” Does the State Department Really Have?
A new State Department inspector general’s report accuses State of buying friends—or, more precisely, boosting its “likes” on Facebook to up to 2 million—by spending… Read More
News
U.S. International Broadcasting “Defunct”—Congress Finally Steps In
Last Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) tackled an issue long overdue for congressional oversight—the state of affairs at the Broadcasting Board of Governors… Read More
The State Department’s Revolving Door of Public Diplomacy
The State Department is about to lose yet another Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. As reported last week, Tara Sonenshine, who has… Read More
Asia: Kerry’s Missing Puzzle Piece
“[T]his budget isn’t just a collection of numbers; it’s an illustration of our values and priorities,” said Secretary of State John Kerry in his testimony… Read More
Key Political Appointments Remain Unfilled at the State Department
Despite John Kerry being confirmed as the Secretary of State for President Obama’s second term two months ago, numerous senior State Department positions remain unfilled… Read More
Morning Bell: North Korea on the Edge
Yesterday, North Korean officials warned foreigners in South Korea to leave that country. Today, the foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) countries—the United… Read More
News
Sequestration Prompts Attempt to Silence U.S. Radio Broadcasting
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) recently informed its workforce about sequestration cuts to Voice of America’s (VOA) shortwave and medium-wave broadcasting. Ironically, the Board… Read More
News
U.N. General Assembly Adopts the Arms Trade Treaty
This morning, by a vote of 154 nations in favor (including the United States), 23 abstentions, and three against (Syria, North Korea, and Iran), the… Read More
Kerry Signals Conditional U.S. Commitment to U.N. Arms Trade Treaty
On Friday afternoon—the traditional time to issue unpopular statements—U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry signaled the conditional commitment of the U.S. to the U.N. Arms… Read More
Kerry: Diplomacy Is Hard Work
On Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry took off on his first foreign trip of the capitals of Western Europe and the Arab world. The… Read More
Iran Nuclear Program Advances Amid Terrorism Reports
Iran defiantly continues to expand its uranium enrichment program despite international sanctions and multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to a report from the International… Read More
