Over the past six weeks, an apparent calm has defined the normally actively hostile Israeli-Iranian relationship over Syria. The last detected Israeli airstrike in Syria was on Sept. 17. The arrival of Russian personnel to Syria’s border with the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights appears to have stabilized a previously tense region. However, all is not as […]
The Navigator from CGP
Deconstructing Trump’s Foreign Policy
It is possible to think two things at once: that U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy has been “bad,” which many think it has been, and that it has offered a somewhat coherent alternative for how the United States should conduct itself beyond its borders. This suggests that the casual and smug dismissals of Trump, […]
U.S.-Saudi Relations Post-Khashoggi Murder
If proven true, the allegation that Saudi Arabia killed Jamal Khashoggi – the kingdom’s most internationally renowned public intellectual – in one of its own diplomatic posts in Turkey will create a difficult predicament for the United States regarding its 73-year old strategic alliance with the oil-rich kingdom. Washington cannot ignore this brazen killing, which […]
Nothing New with the 2018 Counterterrorism Strategy
Seventeen years after launching attacks in Afghanistan, the United States is in a quagmire of not only trying to win the war but also defining concisely its purpose, goals, and outcomes for the global war on terrorism (GWOT). A war against a tactic — terrorism — does not enable a military or political solution without a […]
Enemies and Allies Both Undermining U.S. Efforts to Counter Iran
Working closely with Saudi Arabia makes sense for the Trump Administration as the White House tries to pressure Iran into behavioral change. However, when it comes to the Islamic Republic, U.S. interests and those of its Arab ally do not exactly align. That makes it difficult for Washington to realize its goal of countering Tehran. […]
The United States: Adrift Between Sovereignty & Multilateralism
It’s that time of the year. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session is underway with 193 member-states attending to discuss a wide range of topics regarding multilateral interests and international cooperation. For the United States, the 73rd UNGA session begins after a year of controversial actions. Washington has withdrawn from the U.N. Human Rights […]