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Hungarian activists of the neo-Nazi Blood and Honour group hold flags in Budapest 11 February 2006 as participants bring wreaths at the tomb of Unknown Soldier in Heroes Square in Budapest where a German WWII helmet and wood cross were placed. More than 600 people attended the event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the ill-fated escape attempt of Nazi German and Hungarian soldiers from Buda Castle, which was besieged 11 February 1945 by the Soviet Red Army at the end of World War II. (Photo by ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images)

State Dept’s Foreign Terrorist Designations Undermine Claims of “Antifa” Threat

Leading counter-extremism expert unpacks the administration's claimed designation of "Antifa Groups"
Dodik, at right, shakes hands with Putin to the left, with another figure in the back left of the frame, in an ornately decorated room.

U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Putin-Backed Bosnian Serb Separatist Leader

The Trump administration's sanctions removal for Bosnian Serb separatist Milorad Dodik precedes a Russia-Led U.N. Security Council meeting.
A mother walks with her daughters outside a building

Global Fragility Act 2.0? Amid a Possible Bipartisan Revival, a Chance to Make U.S. Peace Efforts More Effective

If the administration seizes this moment, GFA 2.0 could help the U.S. prevent costly wars and compete effectively with rivals abroad.
Building in Washington, DC with an American flag

Save the PMF Program or Risk Losing a Generation of Public Servants

The Trump administration's elimination of the PMF program will have negative long-term consequences for an entire generation of policymakers.
US Department of State building with sign in front

On the Role of State Department Career Attorneys

Ascribing indifference or, at worst, malevolent motives to career attorneys who are unable to refute such claims as they are bound by privilege is truly disappointing.
People lay flowers and set candles to memorial

Trump Administration’s Proposed Cuts to Accountability for Mass Atrocities Undermine Its Own Strategic Goals

International accountability efforts are not a misguided moral crusade – they are a core instrument of U.S. national power.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gestures while standing at a podium, delivering an address at the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 31, 2025. Behind him is a blue backdrop with logos and lettering reflecting the event. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Trump Administration’s Costly Sidelining of Human Rights in Foreign Policy

The Trump administration’s approach to human rights ignores the real-world downsides and missed opportunities of setting aside human rights as a U.S. foreign policy interest.
A sign for the US Department of Homeland Security in Washington, DC, March 24, 2025. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

How DHS’s New Social Media Vetting Policies Threaten Free Speech

A pair of cables issued by the State Department that are ostensibly intended to combat antisemitism will inevitably chill or punish First Amendment-protected speech.
Military forces who are affiliated with Yemen's Houthi group take part in a mass protest held against the Israeli continued bombardment and blockade of people in the Gaza Strip on May 23, 2025 in Sana'a, Yemen. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

Terrorism and the Threat of Weak States

State weakness boosts the organizational vitality of resident terrorist groups, enabling them to not only live longer but also expand their terrorist activities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations | Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs at the Rayburn House Office Building on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Rubio testified on the proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of State. (Photo by John McDonnell/Getty Images)

How the Proposed State Department Reorganization Guts U.S. Human Rights Diplomacy

"Congress should urge Secretary Rubio to modify the proposed plan in ways that would sustain bipartisan U.S. efforts to advance democracy and human rights across the globe."
Someone's hands flip through a wad of U.S. dollars in front of a desk covered with Syrian currency carrying former dictator Bashar al-Assad's face, and an array of financial equipment. Above the shelf are glass teller windows, one of them framing the face of what looks like a customer.

A Framework for Proactively — and Rapidly — Lifting Sanctions on Syria

A clear U.S. roadmap for sanctions relief will ensure Syria's swift, sustainable recovery to improve the prospects for political transition.
The Just Security Podcast logo

The Just Security Podcast: What’s Next for U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Assistance?

Expert panel considers the proposed restructuring of the State Department and unpacks the implications for U.S. foreign policy, what's at stake, and what lies ahead.
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