To the foreign policy left, Obama is a turncoat who spoke out against the George W. Bush Administration’s expansion of executive power during the 2008 campaign only to adopt some of Bush’s security-over-civil-liberties policies on taking office. To those on the right, Obama is a turncoat determined to cede American global preeminence …
Foreign Policy
Inside Obama’s World: The President talks to TIME About the Changing Nature of American Power
In an exclusive interview with TIME’s Fareed Zakaria, President Obama opens up on Iran, Afghanistan, China and the challenges the U.S. faces in navigating a rapidly changing world. A full transcript of their conversation follows
President Obama: Romney Foreign Policy Attacks Will Wither in ‘Serious Debate’
President Obama dismissed Republican rival Mitt Romney’s critiques of his foreign policy credentials Wednesday in an exclusive TIME interview, saying the GOP front runner’s attacks are little more than primary posturing that …
The Great Bain Diversion
The great debate about whether Mitt Romney was a vulture capitalist or venture capitalist at Bain Capital is useful and interesting, but not for the reasons many people pretend it is. The country benefits from a frank discussion about the wages of capitalism and what limits, if any, we should place on free markets. But the specifics of …
Iran’s Dangerous Game
The Republicans running for President have never seemed more ridiculous than when they discuss Iran and gratuitously–and ignorantly–criticize President Obama’s handling of that issue. Obama has patiently increased the economic pressure on Iran and, acting in concert with the Israelis, worked to sabotage the Iranian nuclear program–and …
New Defense Strategy: Why Wait for the Details?
You may recall Battleland’s advisory last week that it was too early to conclude whether the Obama Administration’s new Pentagon strategy makes sense. That’s because the devil is in the details, and they won’t be known for another month – when the Defense Department unveils its 2013 budget.
But when you’re an editorial …
Tomorrow’s Pentagon: Doing Less, With More
President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta unveiled a new military strategy Thursday: the Pentagon of the future, they made clear, will be doing less with more.
“Over the next 10 years, the growth in the defense budget will slow, but the fact of the matter is this: It will still grow, because we have global responsibilities …
The Truth About Iran
Fareed Zakaria has an important column today in the Washington Post, an antidote to the dangerous silliness about Iran that is being peddled by the Republican presidential candidates. Iran is faltering, not gaining strength, Fareed writes. The sanctions regime that the Obama Administration patiently negotiated with Russia and China is …
The 25% Solution: How Romney Plans to Finish By Florida
An eight-vote, 25% victory may look weak, but Mitt Romney’s narrow win in the Iowa caucuses Tuesday has his campaign charting a plan for ultimate victory by the time Florida Republicans hold their primary on Jan. 31. The …
Changing of the Guard: National Guard Joins Joint Chiefs
I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.
The sentiment is usually attributed to Groucho Marx, but as of this week it works for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, too.
That’s because when President Obama signed the 2012 defense bill on New Year’s Eve, the new law ordered Air Force General …
Obama’s 10 Biggest Foreign Policy Challenges for 2012
The foreign policy crisis horizon shows little respect for the calendar New Year: The Obama Administration ought to have a good idea of the crises that await it in different global hotspots as it braces for an election year. But a recurring theme in the current menu of challenges, whether in the Middle East, north or south Asia, Africa …
Clarification: Israel’s National Security
A few hours ago, I received an anguished email from my friend Jeff Goldberg, who was incensed that I’d written this sentence:
“It’s another thing entirely to send American kids off to war, yet again, to fight for Israel’s national security.” [emphasis his]
Jeff had jumped to a silly conclusion. I was concerned about sending …
Inside Kim Jong Il’s Eerie Authoritarian World
To understand just how hard it is for the Obama Administration or anyone else to predict what the death of Kim Jong Il will bring to North Korea, it helps to understand just what a backward, out-of-touch place that country is. …