Kenya Seen as Anchor to US Position in East Africa

The ongoing turmoil in Kenya, set off by last week's disputed election results, is prompting considerable concern here about the future of the East African nation that has served as Washington's longest-standing and most reliable ally in a deeply troubled region. The...

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Israel’s White Bird

Tzipi Livni, as her name indicates, is the white bird of Israeli politics (Tzipi is short for Tzipora, "bird," and Livni comes from Lavan, "white"). As against the hawk Binyamin Netanyahu, the vulture Ehud Barak, and the raven Ehud Olmert, she was...

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The Fatal Conceit in Foreign Policy

Question: Which Pakistani leader should the U.S. government support? You wouldn't know it from watching most of the candidates for president, but this is a trick question. Why is it a trick question? Because it's like asking, "When did you stop beating your...

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Nukes, Spooks,
and the Specter of 9/11

"The next president may have to deal with a nuclear attack," averred ABC's Charles Gibson at Saturday night's Democratic presidential debate. "The day after a nuclear weapon goes off in an American city, what would we wish we had done to prevent it and...

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