Center for a New American Security
Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security; former policy director for the National Security Network; former Chief of Staff for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations at the State Department (2009-2012)
Netanyahu, the US and the Isolation of Israel The US and much of the world has long agreed that a two-state solution is needed to resolve differences between Israel and the Palestinians. After last week's reelection, President Obama told Benjamin Netanyahu the US will have to "reassess" its policy of supporting Israel unconditionally. In an exclusive interview with the Huffington Post , President Obama described what he told the Prime Minister in a phone call. "I did indicate to him that we continue to believe that a two-state solution is only way for the long term security of Israel if it wants to stay a Jewish state and democratic. I did indicate to him that, given his statements before the election, it is going to be hard to find a path where people are seriously believing that negotiations are possible." Netanyahu's warning about Arab voters sounded racist, and post-election claims that he doesn't really oppose a Palestinian state have been widely questioned. American Jews are divided, and Israel is becoming a partisan issue in Washington. After decades of American vetoes at the UN, will that mean allowing the Security Council to put Israel on the spot regarding settlements and a two-state solution?
Does Obama Have a Strategy for Victory in Afghanistan? President Obama's plan to send 17,000 troops to Afghanistan is meeting opposition on his left and skepticism from some allies. What can the president reasonably hope to achieve in Afghanistan? What alternative policy options could he consider? We talk about all the elements of the Obama strategy in Afghanistan and whether nation-building is still possible. How has the military mission there changed in the last seven years? Whose hearts and minds can we win in Afghanistan? Does history show that foreign military power can never control Afghanistan?
Does Obama Have a Strategy for Victory in Afghanistan? President Obama's plan to send 17,000 troops to Afghanistan is meeting opposition on his left and skepticism from some allies. What can the president reasonably hope to achieve in Afghanistan? What alternative policy options could he consider? We talk about all the elements of the Obama strategy in Afghanistan and whether nation-building is still possible. How has the military mission there changed in the last seven years? Whose hearts and minds can we win in Afghanistan? Does history show that foreign military power can never control Afghanistan?
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.