Obama Administration

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Snapshot,
Jonathan Mercer

The debate about what to do in Syria has been sidetracked by discussions of credibility and reputation. But both logic and evidence prove that reputations are mostly imaginary. Obama should not let fears that others might think him irresolute drive him to disaster. Instead, he should refocus on what U.S. interests really are in Syria, and how he can best obtain them.

Snapshot,
David Kaye

The Obama administration has bolstered the International Criminal Court in an effort to prevent atrocities worldwide. Still, Congressional opposition and developments in conflicts abroad might make it hard for Washington to continue to cooperate with the court.

Essay, May/June 2013
Michael Hirsh

As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton helped restore America’s standing in the world, but she left office with no signature achievement. If she gets her way, her tenure as the country’s top diplomat will come to be seen simply as a stepping-stone to the presidency.

Essay, May/June 2013
Richard N. Haass

A decade ago, when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began, the United States chose to immerse itself in the greater Middle East when it had little reason to dive in. But now that most Americans want little to do with the region, U.S. officials are finding it difficult to turn away.

Snapshot,
Keir A. Lieber and Daryl G. Press

As North Korea issues increasingly over-the-top threats, officials in Washington have sought to reassure the public and U.S. allies. But the risk of nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula is far from remote--and the United States should adjust its military planning accordingly.

Snapshot,
Michael J. Koplow

Israel apologized, Turkey accepted, and the two countries have resolved a three-year dispute -- all because Turkey's leaders realized that they stood to benefit more from cooperating with Israel than from exploiting the dispute for domestic political gain.

Snapshot,
Ehud Yaari

The Obama administration seems inclined to let the president use this week's visit to Israel to reaffirm the same old talking points. Such a staid trip might count as a personal success for Obama, but it will only to damage the administration's already weak efforts to revitalize the peace process.

Snapshot,
Joseph Cirincione

After making steady progress on nuclear weapons in the first two years of his presidency, Obama stalled after Republicans waged a fierce battle against ratifying the New START treaty. Recent speeches -- and Obama's picks for secretary of state and secretary of defense -- indicate that he is ready to resume the fight.

Essay, Mar/Apr 2013
Gerald L. Curtis

The election of the hawkish Shinzo Abe as Japan's prime minister has the world worrying that Tokyo is about to part with its pacifist strategy of the last 70 years. But Japan's new leaders are pragmatic, and so long as the United States does not waver in its commitment to the country's defense, they are unlikely chart a new course.

Author Interview, Mar/Apr 2013

The former Afghanistan and special forces commander talks frankly about his accomplishments, his mistakes, his lessons learned, and the future of the new American way of war he helped create.

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