In The News

US Network Falters in Mideast Mission

Craig Whitlock July 23, 2008
The Bush administration’s War on Terror has evolved beyond traditional military operations, and has become a propaganda war in which the hearts and minds of average citizens are at stake. The US primarily uses the radio for communication, but Al Qaeda has become more technologically advanced and imaginative. Therefore, despite the US being a leader in the communications sector, it often finds...

Talking to Iran Is Not So Controversial

Ilan Goldenberg July 15, 2008
Americans have no great love for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ilan Goldenberg, however, argues that Americans have also lost patience with the foreign-policy failures of the Bush administration – and that they are now ready to start reversing those failures by embracing negotiations with Tehran. With the popularity of negotiations increasing dramatically since early 2007, it seems likely that...

Obama, McCain Campaigns Go Global

Linda Feldmann July 8, 2008
Foreign countries may not vote in US presidential elections, but they do offer presidential candidates the opportunity to impress voters with their command of foreign policy and their stature on the world stage. At a time when some US voters are concerned about their country’s poor standing in the world, the candidates may win more votes in the US by building bridges overseas. – YaleGlobal

Election Season Wild Card: Covert Operations Against Iran, Al-Qaeda

Kevin Whitelaw July 1, 2008
Nearly three decades after the Iran hostage crisis, confrontation with Iran may again make November’s presidential election susceptible to an “October surprise.” Amid reports that US Special Forces are already operating in Iran, the specter of an escalating conflict with Tehran looms over the presidential campaign. Meanwhile, reports that the US military may begin covert operations in Pakistan...

Thinking the Unthinkable: A World Without Nuclear Weapons

Carla Anne Robbins July 1, 2008
Arms control has not been a priority for major global powers. Almost two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the US and Russia alone have more than 20,000 weapons, and small countries like Iraq and North Korea have presented nuclear threats. A group of policy experts, including George Schultz and Henry Kissinger, have called for a shift in US policy, arguing that the US lead the charge to...

Iraq Deal With US to End Immunity for Foreign Contractors

Patrick Cockburn June 18, 2008
With a new security agreement being negotiated between the US and Iraq, the two countries tussle over control. Some Iraqi analysts criticize the overall agreement as a signal that the US plans long-term occupation of the country. But others note that a new policy, no longer extending immunity to foreign contract workers who break Iraqi law, signals that the Iraqi government could be taking more...

US General Says No Plans for Africa Command HQ in Africa

Alisha Ryu April 11, 2008
While US voters remain focused on the Middle East, the US military quietly works on security matters elsewhere in the world. As part of this effort, the US military devotes more attention to Africa. Several key African nations are wary of any new form of colonialism. In an effort to allay those fears, the US military’s new Africa Command insists that its goals are diplomatic and humanitarian....