US Opinion and Commentary

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The President Is Going to Cuba: Here’s Why

Posted February 26th, 2016 at 4:24 pm (UTC-4)
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In March, Barack Obama will be the first American president since Calvin Coolidge in 1928 to visit Cuba

Obama: ‘Strong American Diplomacy’ Pays Off

Posted January 17th, 2016 at 2:58 pm (UTC-4)
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“This is a good day.” So began President Barack Obama’s televised statement on the release of Americans held in Iran following delicate negotiations between the United States and Iran on a prisoner swap apparently tied indirectly to last year’s historic nuclear pact to scale back Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Five Americans, including a Washington Post reporter, were freed in exchange for seven Iranians. The prisoner trade was swiftly condemned by Republican presidential hopefuls and some pundits. The stunning developments included sanction relief for Iran, and the release of roughly $100 billion of its assets after international inspectors concluded that the country had dismantled large portions of its nuclear program. Despite the developments – who can argue against the happiness that comes with release of Americans citizens and their families? – Iran remains on the U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism. And that means the road ahead will be long and bumpy.

It’s Going to Take a Lot More Than a Historic Handshake to Fix China’s Relations With Taiwan

Posted November 9th, 2015 at 12:09 pm (UTC-4)
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It’s always better to talk than fight (there was much mention of peace by Xi and Ma). Yet, beyond the show of symbolism, the summit was underwhelming — a milestone but not a breakthrough, because it was much more about the past than the present or future.

AS US Raises Flag Over Embassy in Cuba, New Challenges Emerge

Posted August 14th, 2015 at 12:07 pm (UTC-4)
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The fruits of the Obama’s administration’s new policy towards Cuba paid off Friday, when Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Havana to reopen the new US embassy there. Of his Cuba policy, President Obama has said he is not interested in refighting battles that started “before I was born.” Today, the United States and Cuba now friends. But much of the real work of undoing more than 50 years of hostility remains.