U.S. Policy

Congratulations on your nomination as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. Though this is a third-level State Department appointment, with an office about a half-mile away from your former prime spot in the West Wing of the White House, it is actually one of the most important jobs in the

We are now 3½ years into the war on terror, with no end in sight. It is time for the U.S. government to acknowledge that fact by thinking longer-term as it combats terrorism. While not necessarily reducing the focus on the day-to-day efforts to prevent a recurrence of 9-11, the

The Bush Administration's policy of "constructive instability" in the Middle East is facing a critical juncture in Lebanon. Taking advantage of a rare confluence of events and international interests, President George W. Bush has focused U.S. efforts on one plank of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559 -- the withdrawal

American and Turkish media have been awash recently with news of increased Turkish resentment toward the United States. Media coverage has focused on negative portrayals of U.S. foreign policy in Turkey, including recent opinion polls such as a January 19 BBC survey, according to which 82 percent of Turks oppose

President Bush declared in Europe that the world cannot rest until there is peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Certainly he knew that Europeans would welcome such words. But I suspect this was less a tactical gesture to the Europeans and more a statement of intent, reflecting his commitment to act

Freedom As a Strategic Concept Since the September 11 attacks, the Bush administration has radically altered U.S. Middle East policy. Broadly defined, the administration’s view is that democracy and freedom in the region is the central strategic concept offering a serious, long-term alternative to jihadi terrorism. This policy shift marks

The United States is facing an extraordinary moment of challenge in the Middle East, one that demands an integrated U.S. strategy built on a set of three pillars: security, reform, and peace. The security agenda is the most pressing, but it alone is not sufficient. If the United States wants

U.S. president George W. Bush heads to Europe next week, where he will meet with European leaders, including German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. While Bush and Schroeder will certainly spend time discussing and attempting to iron out the differences between the two countries, it is also a good opportunity for the

Testimony before the House Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, and the Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation. CIA officials regularly describe Iran as “the foremost state sponsor of terror.”[1] President Bush reaffirmed this assessment in his recent State of the Union address, saying