It is not only the Middle East where one can see the results of President Barack Obama’s strong belief in keeping the U.S. military out of far-flung conflicts. A year after the bulk of U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan, the Taliban made a bold — if short-lived — move on the northern city of Kunduz. With a strong U.S. military assist, Afghan forces were able to retake control after four days. But the episode was ominous. Is Afghanistan ready to defend itself against a committed Taliban movement with only 9,800 U.S. soldiers on hand? Obama is making good on his campaign promise to end both U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But by doing so, Americans are now forced to examine what is left behind.
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Afghanistan: Is Taliban Siege on Kunduz Déjà Vu All Over Again?
Posted October 1st, 2015 at 1:54 pm (UTC-5)
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Heading for Failure on Syria at the UN
Posted September 30th, 2015 at 11:07 am (UTC-5)
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When you don’t agree on the root of the problem, you can’t agree on a solution.
Why I Can’t Get Worked Up about Russia in the Middle East
Posted September 29th, 2015 at 10:24 am (UTC-5)
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Given Putin’s track record in eastern Ukraine, I’m supremely skeptical of Russia’s ability to impose order in Syria, no matter how much help Iran provides.
Putin and Obama Have Profound Differences on Syria
Posted September 29th, 2015 at 9:01 am (UTC-5)
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Both Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin agree that the Islamic State, which is trying to establish a caliphate in Syria and Iraq and has by some accounts grown to tens of thousands of fighters, is a major threat. Beyond that, their two visions are radically at odds, and each used his speech to blame the […]
Syria Choas Draws Putin into Obama’s Orbit
Posted September 28th, 2015 at 4:06 pm (UTC-5)
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Just a day before President Barack Obama stepped up to the ornate lectern to deliver his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, his Russian counterpart stole the spotlight — and left the Obama administration scrambling. Over the weekend, Vladimir Putin struck a deal with Iran, Iraq and Syria to share military intelligence and security information about the Islamic State. It is yet another bold move on the part of Putin to make himself relevant to the unending misery of Syria, which has recently spilled onto the front porch of Europe in the form of tens of thousands of refugees. The two leaders, whose relations remain frosty, are set to meet on the sidelines of UNGA to discuss cooperation in Syria. The big sticking point: what to do with Bashir al-Assad.
Containing and Engaging Russia
Posted July 21st, 2015 at 11:43 am (UTC-5)
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Russia is working hard to weaken the European Union, courting the governments of Hungary and Greece, and funding extremist political parties in France, Bulgaria, Austria, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Belgium…. How to respond? The West needs to sharpen its approach.
Ukraine’s Bumpy Road to Normalcy
Posted June 30th, 2015 at 12:43 pm (UTC-5)
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The appearance of normalcy is both a façade and a coping mechanism. People know full well that times are hard and that soldiers are dying … They know that Vladimir Putin and his proxies are threatening to unleash a devastating war against Ukraine and kill thousands more.
Poroshenko Makes Putin Look Like a Wimp
Posted June 4th, 2015 at 4:10 pm (UTC-5)
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If Ukraine manages to pull out of the deepest crisis in its history and re-emerge as a functioning democratic country with a liberal economic model, it will do more to undermine Russians’ passive support for Putin than any Western pressure ever could.