Center for America Progress
Brian Katulis is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the co-author of The Prosperity Agenda: What the World Wants from America and What We Need in Return.
Katulis formerly served as a member of the Democracy International Election Observation Mission in Afghanistan and as an informal advisor to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign on Iraq policy. From 1999-2000 he worked as a policy planning staffer at the State Department.
The fragile state of our international alliances Trump has complained that America was weak. During the campaign, he said President Obama wasn't winning anymore. But many critics think President Trump is undermining our alliances and making us weaker.
Turkey’s Fragile EU Prospects Turkey observed a national day of mourning Wednesday a day after a terrorist attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport killed dozens and injured hundreds of people. This latest attack has further shaken Turkey’s carefully-curated image in the region. The nation has long been a crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, and it has marketed itself as a liberal beacon among Islamic countries in its campaign for European Union membership. Turkey has been trying to get into the EU since 1987, and so far the EU has been lukewarm to the request.
What Does ‘America First’ mean? Analyzing Trump and Clinton’s Foreign Policy Positions Presidential candidate Donald Trump gave a speech Wednesday on foreign policy, a day after winning five state primaries. His core philosophy is, according to his remarks, “America first.” Trump condemned globalization and nation-building; h e called the foreign policy of the Obama administration "a complete and total disaster." So how do Trump’s foreign policy positions differ from those of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who has been called more hawkish than any of the Republican candidates?
Is Saudi Arabia Serious about Declaring War against Terror? Saudi Arabia says it's formed a coalition of 34 Muslim nations against ISIS, other terrorist groups and their "violent ideology." The US was surprised, but calls the announcement "welcome." Pakistan, one of 34 nations named as a partner, says it wasn't even consulted. Iran, Syria and Iraq weren't included at all, raising questions about the divide between Sunnis and Shiites. Is Saudi Arabia just responding to Western critics, diverting attention from warfare in Yemen or making a real bid for leadership in collective security?
Republican Rhetoric on Foreign Policy: What's the Plan? If former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is next year's Democratic nominee, foreign policy will be front and center in the presidential campaign. Most of the 17 Republican hopefuls are foreign-policy amateurs, but they're almost unanimously hawkish, blaming the Democrats for "weakness." It turns out that almost all are consulting the same group of advisors, who were part of Mitt Romney's losing campaign in 2012. We hear what the John Hay Initiative is telling the candidates about war, diplomacy and America's role in the world.
Arab Intervention in Yemen and US Airstrikes in Iraq Saudi Arabia has begun a bombing campaign against the Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen, backed by all but one of the other Gulf States and with logistical and intelligence support from the United States. The US has bombed ISIS forces near the Iraqi city of Tikrit . In the aftermath of the so-called "Arab Spring," instability is producing more violence in a troubled region. We hear from a reporter in the region and security analysts in the US.
President Obama Outlines Post-War Foreign Policy At West Point today, President Obama told graduating cadets he would betray his duty to them if he sent them into harm's way just because military action was "the only way for America to avoid looking weak." Emphasizing that many critical problems don't need military solutions, the President then went on to describe what he called his "vision" for the US and the military "in the years to come." As to the spread of terrorist organizations to the Middle East and North Africa, the President said he's developing "a network of partnership," new resources that would be used for security forces in Yemen, Somalia and Mali… with what he called "critical focus" on Syria. Invoking post-war Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy for their reliance on international institutions, he defended his own record, saying that America's ability to shape world opinion through international institutions served as a "counterweight to Russian propaganda" about recent actions in Ukraine… and that reliance on multilateral negotiations has created the prospect of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. We hear more about the President's much-awaited foreign policy guidelines, including a strategy for combating terrorism. What did he leave out?
Syria's Chemical Weapons and America's Options Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday that Syria's use of chemical weapons is "undeniable," a "moral obscenity" and a violation of international law. He added, "The President will be making an informed decision about how to respond... President Obama believes there must be accountability." By drawing a "red line," the Obama Administration has set the stage for some kind of military action. Advocates say it's a matter of "credibility" to make good on a threat -- with Iran and other adversaries closely watching. But what could make a difference to Bashar al-Assad, without drawing the US into yet another implacable civil war? Have so-called "limited actions" really worked in the past? How much will be tolerated by a war-weary American public?
Is the Arab Spring Falling Back? This week The United States and the world watch with caution as unrest and deadly riots pop up throughout the Arab World. We speak, perhaps overly broadly, about the Arab street. Last week the specific streets in questions have been those leading up to US embassies in Benghazi, Cairo, Islamabad and Tunis. German and British embassies have been targeted as well. The cause is said to be a farcically inept but highly charged film portraying the Prophet Mohamed as an evil dunce. Is this the Youtube clip that launched a thousand protests, or is the tumult an indication of a wider frustration toward the West and the new governments in place in several Arab Countries? Who's behind the riots? How should the US government respond?
Is the Arab Spring Falling Back? This week The United States and the world watch with caution as unrest and deadly riots pop up throughout the Arab World. We speak, perhaps overly broadly, about the Arab street. Last week the specific streets in questions have been those leading up to US embassies in Benghazi, Cairo, Islamabad and Tunis. German and British embassies have been targeted as well. The cause is said to be a farcically inept but highly charged film portraying the Prophet Mohamed as an evil dunce. Is this the Youtube clip that launched a thousand protests, or is the tumult an indication of a wider frustration toward the West and the new governments in place in several Arab Countries? Who's behind the riots? How should the US government respond?
The Syrian War and Secret U.S. Support As crisis grows more dangerous by the day, nobody yet knows what the Obama Administration is doing to help Syrian rebels against the al-Assad regime. It's more dangerous to smuggle medical supplies than weapons and there are vast stores of chemical weapons. The struggle between Shiites and Sunnis creates the threat of regional instability, even a new Cold War, and the UN has become a non-factor. Since the beginning of peaceful demonstrations in March of last year, some 21,000 people have now died in Syria's crackdown against rebel forces. What's at stake for the region and the rest of the world, including the US? On a grim historical note: seldom have medical personnel been so systematically targeted. It's reportedly more dangerous to smuggle humanitarian aid than weapons. Is it time for the Obama Administration to get directly involved in helping Syrian rebels against the al-Assad regime?
The Syrian War and Secret U.S. Support As crisis grows more dangerous by the day, nobody yet knows what the Obama Administration is doing to help Syrian rebels against the al-Assad regime. It's more dangerous to smuggle medical supplies than weapons and there are vast stores of chemical weapons. The struggle between Shiites and Sunnis creates the threat of regional instability, even a new Cold War, and the UN has become a non-factor. Since the beginning of peaceful demonstrations in March of last year, some 21,000 people have now died in Syria's crackdown against rebel forces. What's at stake for the region and the rest of the world, including the US? On a grim historical note: seldom have medical personnel been so systematically targeted. It's reportedly more dangerous to smuggle humanitarian aid than weapons. Is it time for the Obama Administration to get directly involved in helping Syrian rebels against the al-Assad regime?
Violence over Koran Burning Threatens US-Afghan 'Partnership' The burning of holy Korans that Americans call "accidental" has exposed the seething anti-Americanism in much of Afghanistan. Nationwide protests continue, and two American advisors were assassinated this weekend in an office accessible only to the most trusted personnel. All this has cast doubt on the so-called " partnership " that's essential to the strategy for a western troop withdrawal by 2014. Today, nine Afghans were killed by a suicide bomber near and American air base. We get the latest from Kabul, an update on damage control and the potential political consequences here at home.
Violence over Koran Burning Threatens US-Afghan 'Partnership' The burning of holy books that Americans call "accidental" has exposed the seething anti-Americanism in much of Afghanistan. Nationwide protests continue, and two American advisors were assassinated this weekend in an office accessible only to the most trusted personnel. Since then, all NATO advisors have been withdrawn from Afghan ministries. All this has cast doubt on the so-called "partnership" that's essential to the strategy for a western troop withdrawal by 2014. Today, nine Afghans were killed by a suicide bomber near and American air base. With the US focused on damage control, we look at the military and diplomatic fallout and how it's playing on the presidential campaign trail.
'American Exceptionalism:' Myth or Reality? Almost since the revolution that created the United States, Americans have considered themselves as a nation apart. "American Exceptionalism" is now a standard theme for Democrats and Republicans. With economic and military expansion, world leadership has been seen as an obligation. But, for all its contributions to human progress, does the US really behave that much better than other nations? Are there dangers in that kind of thinking? Should the US recognize its weaknesses as well as its strengths or, if it focuses too much on past mistakes, will it fail to take the actions required for the future? We hear an argument crucial to the assumptions that dictate national policy. How does America look to the rest of the world?
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?