If President Trump decertifies the Iran nuclear deal, we will move into yet more uncertainty about its future. Even if Congress does not resort to a wholesale re-imposition of sanctions, we can expect heightened advocacy for containing what some believe to be Iran’s expansionist regional policy. Continue Reading
On Monday night, the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan – now approaching its 16th anniversary – became Donald Trump’s war. In his first prime-time address to the nation, the president committed the United States to a sustained and, indeed, enhanced military… Continue Reading
In short, the fall of Mosul and the ongoing demise of the ISIS pseudo-state are good news. But they do not herald either an end to the jihadist terrorist threat nor promise an enduring solution to the ongoing conflicts that have afflicted Iraq and, especially, Syria. Continue Reading
Since President Donald Trump assumed office, much of his foreign policy has, in fact, been surprisingly conventional. When it comes to NATO, there are no signs that the United States is prepared to cut resources dedicated to European defense or limit U.S. cooperation with the alliance in any substantial way. Continue Reading
The decision of whether to deploy more troops to Afghanistan may be a close judgement call. But there is no doubt that Afghanistan does in fact hold lessons for U.S. foreign policymakers. Above all, we should learn — yet again — that it is easier to get into a war than get out of one. Continue Reading
The Trump administration is off to a rocky start. Ongoing questions about the Trump campaign’s purported ties to Russia continue to bedevil the president. One of the president’s signature policies – a ban on travel from certain Muslim-majority countries –… Continue Reading
We should remember that Trump is, at heart, a deal maker. He broke into our national consciousness, after all, with his book, “The Art of the Deal” back in 1987. “The deal” — particularly Trump’s own mastery of it — was a constant refrain in his campaign. His approach seems less driven by ideology or strategy than by a desire to strike a “good deal,” however defined. Continue Reading