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Indian State visit: Substance under that Style?
Nov 23, 2009
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The Obama Administration's first official state visit is getting a lot of press, both serious and frivolous. The winner of this coveted invite is Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, recently reelected. The flags of India, the U.S. and D.C. line Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol a...
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Obama Administration's North Korea grade: D-
Nov 19, 2009
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"We noted our shared concern for North Korean humanitarian issues and agreed to work together to bring improvements in this area." That's it. That one sentence - uttered by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at this morning's joint press conference in Seoul - is as close as President Obama got t...
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Iranian Samba
Nov 18, 2009
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Plenty of ink is being spilled this week over President Obama's trip to Asia. Looming is another key head of state visit. Iran's Ahmadinejad is set to visit Brazil next Monday. The stakes are high.
Sure, the Iranian president has played in the Western Hemisphere with the likes of Venezuela...
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"The business of Asia is business"
Nov 13, 2009
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"It is really important to understand just how badly the U.S. is screwing itself on trade." This blunt assessment comes from Fred Bergsten, a long-time observer and director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, as President Obama lands in Asia. I share Fred's frustration and more....
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Dangerous Booty
Nov 10, 2009
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Remember when North Korea was building a nuclear reactor in Syria right in the middle of diplomatic negotiations over its weapons program? That is, until Israeli war planes struck. Call this the "mini-me" version of that incident... For Syria has another rogue friend the White House is looking to...
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No Turkey for Sudan's President
Nov 9, 2009
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Good news. On Friday, I posted ("No Turkish Delight") that wanted-for-war crimes Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was set to visit the pivotal nation of Turkey today. Yesterday, news broke that Bashir wouldn't attend after all, having to stay home to tend to - snicker - "election laws." (S...
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No Turkish Delight
Nov 6, 2009
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It's a long-time member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, it has been pushing hard to join the European Union, it has been viewed as a model for secularism in the Muslim world, and it's .... planning to host an indicted war criminal next week. It's Turkey. This morning, the Wall Street Jo...
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Engagement's Betrayal
Nov 4, 2009
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Thirty years ago today, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was stormed by radical Islamists. Fifty-two Americans were held for 444 days. The regime marks this date each year with rallies, "death to America" chants and the burning of the Stars and Stripes. This year is different. The opposition "Green Mo...
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Joint Meeting Envy
Nov 3, 2009
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A few times a year, Congress sits in a "joint meeting" to hear from a foreign leader. (You can get a list of recent guests here.) Part personal seal of approval, part testament to a country's stature, these addresses are highly coveted by heads of state. Letter campaigns by Members of Congress to...
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No Senegalese Surprise
Oct 30, 2009
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"It wasn't a bribe." That's what officials of Senegal claimed, in so many words, after it came to light that an International Monetary Fund official vacating his post in the west African country had received $200,000 in cash, a "traditional farewell gift," personally presented by its president (WSJ...
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