Category: Blogs

Nelson Mandela: Visionary Pragmatist

By J. Peter Pham

The passing of former South African President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a loss not only for his beloved South Africa, but also for Africa as a whole and, indeed, for the world. Mandela will be rightly remembered as one of the great figures of our time. The manner in which he led his country’s transition […]

Assistant Secretary Nuland Speaks at OSCE Ministerial Council

Assistant Secretary Nuland participated in the Ministerial meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and met with civil society representatives from across the OSCE region. Assistant Secretary Nuland attended bilateral meetings with Ukrainian officials, parliamentary leaders, and civil society. Below are her remarks from the OSCE Ministerial.

Putin Says Russia Needs to Beef Up Arctic Presence

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, AP

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said the U.S. navy’s capability in the Arctic is a key reason for Russia to beef up its presence in the region.

Anarchy at Door, West Starts to Rebuild Libyan Army

By Patrick Markey, Reuters

Turkey, Italy, and Britain are leading the way with promises to train around 8,000 troops and police in skills from infantry basics to forensics. Other recruits are graduating from programs in Jordan.

US Plan for New, Western-Trained Libyan Force Faces Obstacles

By Abigail Hauslohner and Karen DeYoung, Washington Post

At the request of Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, the United States, Britain and Italy have agreed to train 5,000 to 8,000 troops, many of whom will be drawn from existing militias.

Iran Deal Won’t Be a Repeat of North Korea

By Barbara Slavin

In the aftermath of the Geneva accords constraining Iran’s nuclear program, some critics of the deal have compared it to the 1994 Agreed Framework with North Korea that fell apart in 2002 and ended with the North building and testing nuclear weapons. This criticism ignores major differences between Iran – a large, influential country that relies […]

Nine US Diplomats See Interim Deal as Good for Israel

By Nicholas Burns

The interim deal with Iran on its nuclear program has prompted some legitimate questions about whether such a deal is in the interest of Israel, a vital US ally. I joined eight other former American ambassadors to Israel and former under secretaries of State in writing a letter that answers that question: We believe the […]

Rags and Tatters: The Moments Egypt’s Revolution Forgot

Rags and Tatters opens to a scene of shaky cell phone footage inside an Egyptian prison in 2011. You hear the voice of a man saying, “Please film this,” as you prepare to launch into an hour-and-a-half of moments that Egypt’s revolution forgot.