US Opinion and Commentary

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Syria’s Assad Doubles Down on War Crimes

Posted August 18th, 2015 at 2:53 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may hobble on in office for a while, but his place in history is already indelibly fixed as one of the most brutal and incompetent leaders of his era. Now in control of at most a third of Syria after four years of failing to quell a multi-sided […]

Deal With Iran: The Reaction

Posted July 14th, 2015 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
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The ink was hardly dry on the deal negotiated by the P5+1 and Iran to limit Iran’s nuclear program before critics and supporters weighed in on its merits. Once the agreement makes its way to Congress, it has 60 days to vote up or down on it. If Congress rejects it, President Obama says he will veto that rejection, forcing Congress to come up with a two-thirds majority to override.

Why the Iran Endgame is So Tortuous

Posted July 9th, 2015 at 2:39 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin Successful diplomacy requires an astute mix of psychology and substance. The past few days of Iran nuclear negotiations have featured plenty of both, with long sessions devoted to arcane technical issues interrupted by raised voices and threats to walk away rather than accept an agreement that does not meet respective bottom lines. […]

End Game for Iran Nuclear Negotiations

Posted June 26th, 2015 at 3:35 pm (UTC-5)
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By Barbara Slavin With the arrival of Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, in Vienna Friday, the climax to nearly two years of intensive negotiations is at hand. Opponents and advocates of a long-term nuclear agreement with Iran are marshaling their best arguments in an effort to influence the talks […]