Middle East

Iran’s Election and U.S. Foreign Policy

By Bernard Finel

The Administration of George W. Bush was close to an unmitigated disaster for the image of the United States abroad. His ill-informed, often offensive, and counter-productive public statements and policy preferences set back American national security dramatically. Trying to undo some of the damage of the Bush years is the reason that President Obama has […]

The “Obama Effect” and Lebanon

By Bernard Finel

On March 20, 2003, the United States invaded Iraq. On April 9, Baghdad fell, ending Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical rule.  The effect of this victory seemed to transform the globe.

Obama’s Cairo Speech

By James Joyner

President Obama’s Cairo University speech to the Muslim world was much like a State of the Union address, in that was a laundry list of items that tried to have a little something for everyone.   Also, as with his Strasborg town hall speech and his call for hitting the reset button with Russia, Obama said […]

Confidence Building between Turks and Iraqi Kurds

The Obama administration’s “responsible redeployment” from Iraq is made even more urgent by the requirements resulting from worsening conditions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. For redeployment to occur on scale and on schedule, the United States seeks an end-state in Iraq that is stable and at peace with its neighbors. Simmering sectarian violence is inevitable, but […]

Obama’s Iran Endgame: More Than Meets the Eye

By Bernard Finel

There has been a lot of discussion over the last several days about Iran, mostly prompted by President Obama’s outreach to the Iranian public on the Iranian New Year.

Obama’s Iran Initiative

By James Joyner

Then-candidate Barack Obama avowed in the YouTube debate of July 23, 2007 that, yes, he would “be willing to meet separately, without precondition . . . with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venzuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries.”   While he took a lot of flak for […]

The Lieberman Question

By James Joyner

Several Haaretz correspondents worry that the expected appointment of hardliner Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister in a coalition government led by Bijamin Netanyahu would harm Israel’s relationship with the United States.

Making Nice with Iran?

By Don Snow

In yet another example of the cascade of ways the Obama administration is abandoning the policies of its predecessor, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced last week the willingness of the Obama administration to talk directly to representatives of Iran. The vehicle for this change of policy was offering an invitation for Iran to attend […]

Obama Outreach Tour Hits Syria and Turkey

By James Joyner

President Obama  is making good on his campaign pledge to reach out to countries with whom relations were strained during the Bush years.  The administration has made a significant overtures to Syria and Turkey today, following yesterday’s outreach to Russia and Iran.