Joshua Pollack has a very useful rundown of just what the recent mention of Turkey as an “escrow” holder of Iranian enriched uranium could look like. There’s no reason to be any more optimistic about Iran’s response to this option, compared to the deal as it now stands, even if it does remove the “trust card” from the Iranian negotiating arsenal. But given that IAEA chief Mohamed El-Baradei has explicitly referred to the Turkish option as a proposal he’s floating with U.S. approval, it might be time for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to back off from the “no renegotiation” [...]
President Barack Obama has successfully transformed America’s strategic dialogue with the world for the better in his first year, impressing Europe — or at least eminently sensible Norway — enough to win a Nobel Peace Prize. In relationship after relationship, America now finds itself talking about what really matters, which in most instances means prioritizing economics above terrorism (George W. Bush’s one-note presidency) and climate change (Al Gore’s shrill post-vice-presidency). For those who prefer a diet of constant fear, Obama’s maddeningly calm approach is not nearly as filling as an American foreign policy forever focused on perceived existential threats. The [...]
Here are a few of the week’s highlights from WPR’s video section: As Germany celebrates 20 years since the Berlin Wall crumbled, some vintage footage from PBS’ NewsHour provides a look back to what policymakers and pundits of the day were thinking. From utter shock and surprise to apprehension, then-Sens. Richard Lugar and Sam Nunn, arms negotiator Paul Nitze, former National Security Adviser Walt Rostow, and former ambassador and economist John Galbraith explore what this new East Germany might look like. So, how did they do? In Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s latest dig at Thailand’s current government, Cambodia has [...]
