Israeli media reports suggest the country is using renewed threats of action against Iran to limit Obama’s room to maneuver.
Obama
Why Do Israeli Media Keep Predicting War with Iran?
A frenetic pounding of the war drums appears designed to create the impression that Israel will attack Iran before the U.S. presidential election. Whether that’s Netanyahu’s real intent remains a mystery
New Sanctions, Old Postures as U.S.-Israel-Iran Stalemate Drags On
Did Mitt Romney’s hawkish posture in Israel last weekend increase the likelihood of an Israeli attack on Iran? Unlikely. Will Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s visit to Israel to discuss “various contingencies and how we would …
Syrian Defense Minister Killed as Rebels Strike at the Heart of Power
The fighting in Damascus is not quite an indication that the Assad government is about to fall. But it is a sign of how balkanized Syria is—and is likely to be.
Why the CIA Won’t Relish Its Syria Mission
The agency is being forced to play catch-up in a complex situation of which it has limited knowledge. Turkey’s cooperation may be vital
Deadlocked, Iran and Western Nuclear Negotiators Agree Only to Keep Talking
No breakthroughs achieved as both sides dig in, overestimating their leverage
“Putin is in a petulant sort of mood...He's looking for us to satisfy him, and I don't think we're going to do that.”
Why the U.S. Won’t Give Up on Kofi Annan’s Syria Plan
Senator John McCain may be cranking up the political heat on the Obama Administration over Syria amid reports of a new massacre at Hama, but don’t expect Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to berate Kofi Annan over the failure …
Must-Reads From Around the World, May 31, 2012
A Dissident Speaks – In an op-ed in The New York Times, Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who is in New York after escaping house imprisonment in China’s eastern Shandong province and fleeing to the U.S. embassy in Beijing, …
U.S. Frustration on Iran and Syria Puts New Cards in Russia’s Hands
Russia’s help will be crucial for President Barack Obama in addressing the crisis in Syria and the Iran nuclear standoff, but President Vladimir Putin is playing hard to get. Since resuming the presidency three weeks ago after a …
Must-Reads From Around the World: May 30, 2012
Suu Kyi’s World Tour – Armed with her passport and the freedom to travel without restrictions or fear, Burmese opposition leader and iconic democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi embarked on her first international trip in 24 years, …
In Nuclear Talks, Iran and the West Agree to Disagree – and Keep Talking
A breakthrough proved predictably elusive in the two days of nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers that ended late Thursday in Baghdad, but it took strenuous diplomacy — and an unscheduled second day of talks — to …
After Chicago, How Long Can NATO Stay Relevant?
An essay I wrote in the international magazine last week sets out NATO’s existential quandary. The organization wrapped up its biggest summit ever in Chicago on Monday, but it was drowned out in part by the din of both …