Blog
The Strange Rehabilitation of Elliott Abrams
Democratic presidents have a way of reaching out to undeserving Republicans to protect their domestic flanks on the right. Bill Clinton appointed James Woolsey to be the director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1993 in order to gain standing among national security conservatives. Barack Obama retained Robert Gates as secretary of defense in 2009…
The Institutionalization of the New Cold War
The first Cold War was relatively easy for the United States to manage. The twelve founding members of NATO were compatible in terms of policies and processes; and the perception of the threat was shared. In Cold War 2.0, the United States will not be as dominant; the alliance will be divided between the western and eastern members of the alliance; and the perception of the threat will vary due to domestic politics and geographic proximity to Russia. The current difficulties and debates over Ukraine membership; future relations with Russia; and appropriate levels of defense spending are already creating tensions within the alliance.
U.S. Cluster Bombs to Ukraine: An Act of Desperation
The United Nations convention that banned the use of cluster munitions was signed in 2008, but three of the most militarized nations in the world refused to sign: the United States, Russia, and Israel. The United States used these munitions against Iraq in 2003, and supplied them to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen. Israel violated understandings with the United States and used cluster munitions against Palestinians. Russia has used them extensively in Ukraine with substantial civilian fatalities and casualties.
Has the Putin-Prigozhin Confrontation Opened a Door for Negotiation?
The war between Russia and Ukraine has become more complex in the wake of the past weekend, which found Yevgeny Prigozhin marching his troops toward Moscow, and President Vladimir Putin finding a safe haven for Prigozhin in Belarus. The conventional wisdom among politicians and pundits is that this is an opportunity for Ukraine and its…
Netanyahu Takes Aim At U.S. Diplomacy Again
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s leading anti-American protagonist, is at it again. The Israelis, presumably at Netanyahu’s direction, are leaking sensitive information regarding secret talks between the United States and Iran. The talks are designed to curtail Tehran’s nuclear program, liberate three American prisoners; and end proxy attacks on U.S. forces in Syria. Netanyahu…
Honor Daniel Ellsberg by Abrogating the Espionage Act
Daniel Ellsberg’s courage and contributions should be honored by abrogating the Espionage Act of 1917, which was designed to stifle his example of dissent and whistleblowing. Ellsberg’s resolve and tenacity were unusual. He exposed the mendacity of the Johnson and Nixon administrations, giving the New York Timesand the Washington Post the Pentagon Papers, which they published. The Times’…
