“I believe that we must never resign ourselves to the fatalism that the spread of nuclear weapons is inevitable.” President Barack Obama
“VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussion and opinion on these policies.” — VOA Charter
How We Can Make Our Vision of a World Without Nuclear Weapons a Reality
Posted March 31st, 2016 at 11:24 am (UTC-4)
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Given the continued threat posed by organizations such as the terrorist group we call ISIL, or ISIS, we’ll also join allies and partners in reviewing our counterterrorism efforts, to prevent the world’s most dangerous networks from obtaining the world’s most dangerous weapons.
Thinking the Unthinkable
Posted March 30th, 2016 at 2:59 pm (UTC-4)
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In 1945, the United States dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan. It was devastating, historic and, ultimately, ended the Second World War. Some 70 years later, the frightening prospect of nuclear weapons falling into hands of terrorist organizations (think ISIS or the Taliban), who have proven their appetite for brutality again and again. On Thursday, President Barack Obama will host his fourth—and final—Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, where more than 50 heads of state will entertain that very notion, and how to ensure it never happens. Two key world figures are not attending: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Iran’s absence appears more notable given the landmark nuclear deal with America and five other world powers. Experts say approaching such a terrifying possibility requires rethinking how we cope with the existence of nuclear arms. The Cold War mentality must make way for a far more fractured globe and the rise of ultra-fundamentalist Islam.
Obama’s Record on Foreign Policy Is Incomplete
Posted March 29th, 2016 at 12:55 am (UTC-4)
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Although Obama wants people to remember the new relationships he’s opened, like those with Cuba and Iran, his legacy will inescapably include Iraq and Syria too.
Washington Made it Easy for Iran to Fire its Ballistic Missiles
Posted March 17th, 2016 at 1:55 pm (UTC-4)
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[I]n exchange for Iran’s signature on the landmark nuclear accord, the United States granted Tehran greater wiggle room to advance its ballistic missile program…. There’s just one problem: The updated measures are neither legally binding nor as restrictive than the measures in place at the time of the nuclear pact.
The Upside of Plunging Oil Prices
Posted March 3rd, 2016 at 1:25 pm (UTC-4)
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Many big oil exporters just aren’t the kind of countries you’d want to bring home to mother….And in many cases — Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, for instance — their hydrocarbon bounty has enabled them to intimidate neighbors, fuel adventurism, and generally project a baleful influence.
A Reality Check on Iran
Posted March 1st, 2016 at 1:47 pm (UTC-4)
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We must not let our natural—and laudable—hopes for liberalization in Iran blind us to what is really happening. Have we already forgotten that just six weeks ago ten American sailors were on their knees with Iranian guns pointed at their heads?
Navigating the Road Ahead
Posted February 24th, 2016 at 3:33 pm (UTC-4)
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It has become a campaign staple to trash President Barack Obama’s foreign policy initiatives from Iraq, Cuba to Russia. American presidential hopefuls have the luxury of hindsight without the responsibility of Syria, Afghanistan, China and many other global concerns resting on their shoulders. But by this time next year, someone else will be making the tough calls from the Oval Office. It’s ironic that Obama won his first term with a pledge to end the seemingly endless, and deeply unpopular, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And he did fulfill those promises. However, by the time these policies were in place, the world seemed to have moved on to new crises, including the emergence of Islamic State out of the ashes of Iraq and the violent turmoil in Syria. All of this—and—more awaits the next President of the United States.
Nuclear Nightmares, From Bin Laden to Brussels
We’re sure delegates from more than 50 nations are patting themselves on the back for all their progress over the past six years…. Our conclusion: There’s been progress, but it’s short of awesome.