Scandal Du Jour at the State Department
Another day, another State Department scandal. This time, allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced against U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman. On top of that,… Read More
U.S. Embassy in Beirut Still a Security Risk
A new report by the State Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) on the U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, indicates that security at even the… Read More
Secretary Kerry Fumbles at the African Union
Boko Haram, the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria, was called a terrorist organization by Secretary of State John Kerry last week. At the 50th anniversary Summit… Read More
Benghazi Investigation Still Very Much Ongoing
Benghazi is back in the headlines with a vengeance as investigations continue on several congressional fronts: Representative Darrell Issa (R–CA) subpoenaed the State Department to… Read More
Obama Administration Refuses to Label London Attack as Terrorism
Yesterday’s appalling attack on a London street in the middle of the day, which left a British solider dead, was a barbaric act of terrorism… Read More
Honey, I Shrunk the Benghazi Talking Points
The White House release of the e-mail chain regarding the Benghazi talking points on Wednesday has opened up a slew of new questions. Covering only… Read More
Obama Dismisses Benghazi Investigations as “Side Show”
President Obama yesterday dismissed the House investigations into the Benghazi debacle as a political “side show.” In a news conference with British Prime Minister David… Read More
Who is Saeed Abedini?
Pastor Saeed Abedini is a United States citizen from Boise, Idaho, who has been imprisoned for 223 days in Iran for “crimes against the Islamic… 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
Morning Bell: Ghosts of Benghazi
The White House might have wanted to mute its response to the terrorist attack in Benghazi for fear of inflaming Anti-American sentiment. Perhaps the President… Read More
See Something, Say Nothing: Benghazi Accountability Report Under Scrutiny
The State Department inspector general made news Thursday with the revelation that the office is looking into the report produced by the Benghazi Accountability Review… Read More
Heard the One About the Benghazi Whistleblowers? Obama Hasn’t
President Obama raised eyebrows today with his press conference statement that he was unaware of news stories about Benghazi whistleblowers being blocked and even threatened… Read More
New House Report on the White Washing of Benghazi
A just-released Interim Progress Report based on an investigation across five House committees on the Benghazi terrorist attack paints a disturbing picture of diplomatic security… Read More
News
Asia’s Persistent Drug Problem Could Hit Home
Drug wars have plagued Asia for decades, and the drug problem continues to stem the tide of economic growth and development in the region. A… Read More
News
Congressional Hearing Produces Shocker on Benghazi
Kudos to members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for squarely placing Benghazi on the table at today’s hearing with Secretary of State John Kerry…. 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
Keystone XL Pipeline Hearing Tuesday
President Obama has been holding up the Keystone XL Pipeline. Could Congress go ahead and clear it for construction–and prevent environmental activists from tying the… Read More
New START: State Department’s “Facts” Don’t Match Reality
“Three years in, New START has performed exactly as advertised,” writes John Kerry, Secretary of State, in his most recent article. In reality, the New… 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
Europe Must Face Up to Hezbollah’s Bloody Legacy
This week, the parliament of Bahrain voted unanimously to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization. “It is time we join the world in outlawing this group,… Read More
U.S. Calls for Investigation of Cuban Opposition Leader’s Death
Recent remarks by Spanish official Ángel Carromero in The Washington Post are shedding new light on the events that resulted in the death of Cuban… Read More
The U.S. Should Designate Boko Haram a Terrorist Organization
On March 26, the Nigerian senate proved that President Goodluck Jonathan’s refusal to grant amnesty to terrorist organization Boko Haram was not in vain. Nigerian… Read More
Visa Reform: Long Wait Times Make Travel Difficult
Attaining a visa to the United States is an incredibly lengthy and difficult process. To combat this, last week, Congressman Joseph Heck (R–NV) introduced the… Read More
Beware of Venezuela’s Paranoid Anti-Americanism
Two weeks after the death of President Hugo Chavez from cancer, Venezuela’s interim chief and Chavista presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro is increasingly resorting to wild,… Read More
News
U.S. House to Hear from Wife of American Citizen Imprisoned in Iran
On Friday, the House of Representatives will hold a hearing on the persecution of religious minorities in Iran. It will feature Nagmeh Abedini, the wife… Read More
Morning Bell: What We Still Don’t Know About Benghazi
Yesterday, President Obama nominated a new ambassador to Libya to succeed Christopher Stevens, who was killed in the terrorist attack in Benghazi last September 11…. Read More
Unanswered Questions About Benghazi Still Remain
The revelation that at least one survivor of the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi remains hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Hospital has… Read More
News
Arms Sale Responsibility Act: Proceed with Caution
The Arms Sale Responsibility Act (H.R. 599), introduced by Representative Raul Grijalva (D–AZ), contains a number of flaws that call for caution on the part… Read More
News
North Korea Threatens Nuclear Strike on U.S.
So much for basketball diplomacy. Dennis Rodman’s meeting with his new BFF Kim Jong-un didn’t prevent the regime from threatening a pre-emptive nuclear strike to… Read More
News
United Nations: U.S. Should Get More Bang for Its Buck
Shouldn’t American foreign aid be aimed at nations that promote and support the initiatives and priorities of the United States in the United Nations? This… Read More
