- Social:
American Enterprise Institute
Senior Vice President for Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute; former senior staffer for Near East and South Asia on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1992-2002)
PROFILE
Danielle Pletka
Guest
FROM Danielle Pletka
To the Point
The Struggle for Peace in a Polarized World Syria's civil war has dragged on for five years, killing hundreds of thousands and turning millions more into refugees. UN-sponsored peace talks were scheduled to start today, but they've been delayed until Friday. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other regional powers disagree about which rebels should be at the table. Russia still supports President al-Assad. The Obama administration says Assad must go, but is resisting calls for military action. Is it time for the US to assert its Superpower status or pursue continued restraint in a multi-polar world.
To the Point
Is Syria's Civil War Going Global? Syria tops the agenda as Presidents Obama and Putin meet at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland. After months of non-involvement, the US has promised some rebels small arms and ammunition , to be coordinated by General Salim Idriss, who heads the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army. But the rebels say they still don't know what to expect. Here at home, advocates of intervention accuse Obama of being led by events, while supporters say the situation is too uncertain to formulate policy goals. If Bashar al Assad stays in power, what are the consequences for Syria and the rest of the Middle East? Is it too late to force him to negotiate in good faith?
To the Point
Is the Great Satan a Big Blunderer? Polls show that vast numbers of Middle Easterners believe the US wants to divide their region, take over their oil and replace Islam with Christianity. Al Jazeera TV, newspapers and magazines promote the idea of a grand conspiracy by an invincible Superpower. Conspiracy theories about western imperialism have a rich history in the Middle East. While recently, it's the United States that gets the blame—or the credit—for events that might otherwise be inexplicable, the chaos of the Iraq occupation appears to be changing public opinion. Is America incompetent after all? Can it be defeated? With public opinion changing, where does that leave the governments supported by the US? What will it mean for American interests in a volatile region?
To the Point
Al Qaeda on the Rise? President Bush has linked the attacks of September 11 to the war in Iraq--even though Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda did not exist in Iraq before the American occupation. Today, the Bush Administration declassified part of a National Intelligence Estimate saying al Qaeda has increased its ability not just in Iraq, but as a training ground for operatives to be sent to the US. From his safe haven on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Osama bin Laden is marshalling new resources. Although Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf made a controversial agreement with local leaders in the western part of his country, where al Qaeda is now said to be stronger than ever, but is he doing all that he can? How close is al Qaeda in Pakistan to al Qaeda in Iraq? Is the war in Iraq protecting America or making it more vulnerable than it was before?
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To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
To the Point
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?
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.