Foreign Policy
Tuesday, June 3, 2014 - 07:48
There are two major problems with President Obama's proposal to create a Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund (CPF). First, the CPF overrides a number of counterterrorism programs already in place, accelerating a trend towards the militarization of U.S. foreign policy. Second, the CPF proposal provides no details on how the requested funds will be spent.
Thursday, May 29, 2014 - 07:56
Kenya's counterterrorism approach following the Westgate Mall attack is crude -- and may actually be spawning more violence.
Thursday, May 29, 2014 - 06:20
Last October, with security concerns in Libya mounting, the United Nations dispatched a high-level delegation to Tripoli to determine whether U.N. staff could function safely in a country beset by Islamist extremists and renegade militias that had killed America's top envoy, attacked foreign embassies, raided the country's oil resources, and temporarily abducted both the Jordanian ambassador and the former Libyan prime minister. The answer was a resounding no, and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon sent an urgent letter to the U.N. Security Council asking for help assembling a 235-man security force that would be charged with guarding the world body's small mission in Libya. Seven months later, with security deteriorating so badly that the State Department is warning American nationals to leave Libya , the U.N. has yet to establish the force - though U.N. officials say they are gradually reinforcing their own security detail to address the shortcomings.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - 07:57
Last week, Tunisia's Interior Ministry reported that its forces had arrested eight Libyan militants who had entered the country with the aim of carrying out attacks against Tunisian officials. The ministry described the men as "Islamists." The news jangled nerves in a country that's already worried about contagion from the deepening turmoil in post-Qaddafi Libya. Tunisians, who have had their own troubles with religious militants, have followed the steadily rising tide of bombings, shootings, and militia escapades in their neighbor to the east.
Monday, May 26, 2014 - 16:46
Issa, long seen as the lead investigator for Republicans, showed no signs of wanting to play second fiddle to Gowdy, a young Republican with a reputation for tenacity as a district attorney in South Carolina.
Monday, May 26, 2014 - 16:44
"We understand each other on a people-to-people level," the senior Egyptian military official said. "We understand each other on a military-to-military level. But on a politician-to-politician level? It goes to hell."
Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - 07:42
Such a vote would have likely divided Democrats torn between standing behind the White House's hard-fought diplomatic efforts and members of the pro-Israel community, many of whom are deeply skeptical of an Iran deal.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - 14:56
Dempsey's dour assessment of the military situation on the ground compounded the already bleak outlook offered by United Nations and Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Tuesday as he handed in his resignation.
Friday, May 9, 2014 - 13:58
Iraq has been unwilling to accept American military personnel in the country in any operational form, but the willingness to revisit that policy appears now to be shifting.
Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 08:50
The efforts highlight how the White House is grasping for ways to handle the Syrian crisis as U.S.- and Russian-sponsored political talks have stalled, the killing continues unabated, and President Assad is preparing plans for his re-election.