US Opinion and Commentary

“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

Showing Archived Posts

Peace in Syria Still Looks Like Mission Impossible

Posted January 29th, 2016 at 11:09 am (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

By Barbara Slavin Expectations had never been high for Syrian peace talks scheduled to open Friday in Geneva — and the refusal of the opposition to come only underscores the fragile state of the negotiations. “They will start as planned, but I don’t have a time, I don’t have a location and I can’t tell […]

Obama Shifts Policy on US Hostages

Posted June 24th, 2015 at 2:04 pm (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

The gruesome beheadings of Americans in captivity by IS militants last year prompted sharp and very public criticism by their families over the long-standing strict US stance of no concessions to hostage-takers. Today, the White House announced new guidelines, which will allow families to negotiate and privately pay ransom to win their loved one’s freedom without the threat of prosecution.