Monthly Archives: April 2012

Russia Loves NATO – in Afghanistan

An article in Thursday’s Christian Science Monitor reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is urging NATO to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond the current 2014 withdrawal date in order to maintain some semblance of stability there. Even though Russia is very concerned about NATO expansion elsewhere, this Russian move makes good sense. Continue reading

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How Not to Negotiate With Iran

If we want diplomacy to have a chance of avoiding a war over Iran’s nuclear program, we need to pay greater attention to what Paul Pillar, a 28-year veteran of the CIA and now at Georgetown University, is saying: Continue reading

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North Korea’s Nuclear Deterrent

In a recent interview, former Director of Los Alamos Siegfried Hecker made an important observation about North Korea’s nuclear weapons: “I do not believe that North Korea’s leadership has any plans to bomb the United States, its assets or allies. However, it wants to hold U.S. interests at risk of a nuclear attack to deter us from regime change and to create international leverage and diplomatic maneuvering room.” Continue reading

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Why Russia is Obstinate on Syria

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described Russia’s refusal to support a UN resolution on Syria as “despicable.” But, as usual, there’s another perspective. Continue reading

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