Diplomacy
546 Articles
When Professionalism Mattered: Dissent Against U.S. Policy on Landmines
President Trump's retaliation against principled dissenters and his jettisoning of longstanding U.S. policy on landmines converge in a look back to see how another administration…
Guantanamo’s Ugly Taint on U.S. Diplomacy
Watching the Guantanamo proceedings from behind the courtroom's safety glass brings to mind a different prison, halfway around the world, in Egypt.
As Russia and China Seek a Beachhead in the Western Balkans, a U.S.-U.K. Push Could Avert an Authoritarian Turn
Genuinely sustainable progress in the Western Balkans turns on jobs, equitably distributed revenue, and the physical security that undergirds effective governance.
How Trump’s Gilding the Lily on Baghdadi Death Will Return to Haunt Americans
I handled State Dept’s public messaging after we killed bin Laden. I know the risks.
“With a Little Help from Our Friends”: Prosecuting the ISIL “Beatles” in U.S. Courts
Civilian prosecution in U.S. courts remains by far the best option for reliably bringing the two ISIL detainees in U.S. custody to justice. The DoJ should look closely at whether…
“Play Ball”: Why the Panic Over a Trump-Zelenskyy White House Meeting?
The symbolism of a foreign leader meeting with the US president in the White House sends an unmistakable signal worldwide, especially in this case to Russia.
Protections Fall for Vietnamese Immigrants as Trump Pushes Deportations
The Trump administration has reinterpreted a 2008 agreement with Vietnam in multiple ways to expand the categories of refugees it can deport. The effort appears to have affected…
U.S. Sanctions Against Iran’s Foreign Minister and International Law
Sanctions against a foreign minister are a provocation that impede diplomacy. Their legality under international law also turns out to be a complex issue.
Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in March 2019
Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of those norms in reactions…
Unpacking (Some of) the Legal Issues Surrounding Hoda Muthana
Even before the President weighed in on Twitter, there’s been substantial discussion about the fate of so-called “ISIS bride” Hoda Muthana, and her apparent desire…
The Last Thing the Shaky Western Balkans Needs Is More Border Changes
It’s hard to know which direction the Western Balkans region is headed these days. There are some encouraging signs, even amid very worrying trends. Signs of promise include…
Letter to the Editor: Why Larger Defense Budgets Don’t Need to Come at the Expense of “Soft Power”
In his recent post (“The National Security Threat of Trump’s Defense Budget”) Bishop Garrison argues that the Trump administration’s proposed increases to the defense budget…