US Opinion and Commentary

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Trump’s Executive Order on Refugees — Separating Fact from Hysteria

Posted January 30th, 2017 at 1:52 pm (UTC-4)
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So, what did Trump do? Did he implement his promised Muslim ban? No, far from it. He backed down dramatically from his campaign promises and instead signed an executive order dominated mainly by moderate refugee restrictions and temporary provisions aimed directly at limiting immigration from jihadist conflict zones.

An Unwarranted Sanction Against Iran

Posted January 30th, 2017 at 1:44 pm (UTC-4)
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By Barbara Slavin With the advent of the Trump administration, many Iran analysts feared the new president would scrap the landmark nuclear deal that curbs Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Little did we know that U.S.-Iran relations were about to be set back more dramatically as collateral damage in a counter-productive presidential […]

How Refugees Help Their New Communities

Posted June 20th, 2016 at 10:37 am (UTC-4)
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Once integrated, though, refugees help communities grow economically, creating new businesses and professional opportunities. They also enhance social and civic participation, taking more active roles in local politics and governance.

Would a Mideast Marshall Plan Work?

Posted April 22nd, 2016 at 12:14 pm (UTC-4)
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“We face, as the Marshall Planners did not in their dealings with Western Europe, the challenge of intervening in countries in which ethnic strife is high, democratic traditions are few, and America’s presence is a source of suspicion…”

Containing the Chaos of Migration

Posted April 13th, 2016 at 12:16 pm (UTC-4)
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It takes a lot to uproot oneself (and family), arrange travel via a trafficker, step onto a boat with a few possessions and no guarantees.They are called migrants or refugees—or both. Whichever term comes to mind, they are all people, many looking to improve their lot in life. But most, experts say, are running from instability and violence. According to the United Nations, the recent wave of migrants represents the largest dislocation of people since the Second World War. The estimated number of migrants in Europe runs in the hundreds of thousands, up to over a million registered asylum seekers. Thus, the term “migrant crisis,” which is useful shorthand, but doesn’t allow for the scale and scope of human suffering involved. As Europe struggles to cope with the influx (via the sea from Turkey or Libya into Greece or Italy, for the most part), America is bracing for the expected spillover.

Tackling the Refugee Crisis

Posted March 21st, 2016 at 10:36 am (UTC-4)
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The State Department has been working on its new Innovation Forum, which encourages dialogue between senior policymakers and global innovators to spark fresh ideas

Turkey, Russia Use Syria Refugees to Blackmail E.U.

Posted March 9th, 2016 at 10:33 am (UTC-4)
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By Barbara Slavin As the European Union struggles to find a way to reduce the inflow of Syrian refugees to manageable proportions, it is under pressure to downplay human rights violations by Turkey and Russia. Turkey, which has lost much of its democratic luster in recent years because of a crackdown on political opposition by […]

Europe’s Huddled Masses

Posted February 5th, 2016 at 10:46 am (UTC-4)
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Some 200,000 mainly Muslim children are entering German schools. Imagine if America, which has four times the German population, were to register 800,000 mainly Muslim children in schools in a few months. On reflection, don’t even try.

Strengthening The Global Response to Refugee Crises Worldwide

Posted February 1st, 2016 at 5:19 pm (UTC-4)
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Amid waves of migrants, many fleeing war in Syria, President Obama is set to host a summit on the crisis during the UN General Assembly in September

Once Again, Europe Needs America

Posted January 21st, 2016 at 3:06 pm (UTC-4)
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Europe’s entire security order, while not quite collapsing before our eyes, seems to be increasingly under strain and stress … This is bad news for the United States, of course, because a strong, confident, and united Europe represents the best pool of available partners for the U.S. in any part of the globe.

How to Help the Syrians Who Want to Return Home

Posted January 12th, 2016 at 9:57 am (UTC-4)
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A vast majority of the more than four million refugees want to return to Syria once the war there ends. For that reason, most have stayed in the region, often languishing for years in camps in Lebanon and Jordan, rather than migrating to Europe or attempting to enter the United States.

Christmas USA

Posted December 24th, 2015 at 10:46 am (UTC-4)
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It seems a bit incongruous that a country where freedom of religion is among its bedrock foundations celebrates one of Christianity’s holiest of days as a national holiday. But as a cultural, racial and religious melting pot, the United States is a country of contradictions and compromises, and culture clashes over Christmas roil that pot a bit. Despite the separation of church and state, American religion and politics often work hand-in-hand. Even amid accusations of a war on Christmas, most Americans are generally swept up by the spirit of the holiday.

Christian Arabs Under Siege

Posted December 24th, 2015 at 7:55 am (UTC-4)
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The ethnic cleansing of Mideast Christians – especially by ISIS in Iraq, but also by other Islamist jihadis elsewhere – is so intense that it demands special attention. When it comes to admitting refugees, that level of persecution cannot be ignored.

The Patience of Jihad

Posted December 15th, 2015 at 11:51 am (UTC-4)
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President Obama has argued there isn’t a threat of terrorism from the U.S. refugee program because for individuals who apply it takes two years, “heavy vetting” and is a relatively long process. It doesn’t matter. Jihad is patient, and as ISIS has pledged, it will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Obama Calls Helping Christian Refugees ‘Shameful,’ While State Claims That’s Exactly What It’s Doing

Posted November 19th, 2015 at 9:44 am (UTC-4)
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Mr. Obama’s desire to deride his critics likely got the better of him once again. But he should study the law and come clean. Helping persecuted Christians is lawful and it is moral. What’s shameful is ignoring and abandoning them—and mocking Americans who want to help them.

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