Sunday Times
Weekly columnist on foreign affairs for the Sunday Times in London; former adjunct professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University; former senior foreign policy adviser to Senator Biden; former Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under President Clinton and spokesperson for Secretary of State Madeline Albright (1997-2000)
Sex, WikiLeaks and the Law Julian Assange spent last night in a London Jail, without bail on an arrest warrant from Sweden. He has not been charged with a crime, but Swedish authorities say two women have accused him of rape and sexual harassment. Assange says it’s really all about WikiLeaks .
Sex, WikiLeaks and the Law Julian Assange spent last night in a London Jail, without bail on an arrest warrant from Sweden. He has not been charged with a crime, but Swedish authorities say two women have accused him of rape and sexual harrassment. Assange says it's really all about WikiLeaks . Meantime, the international uproar over WikiLeaks continues. Today, the Foreign Minister of Australia, where Assange is a citizen, called him "irresponsible" but innocent and blamed the United States for the leak of classified cables. A Swiss bank has frozen his legal defense funds, and Visa and MasterCard have cut him off. American politicians have called for his head from the Right and the Left. Could he be extradited to the US? Would WikiLeaks retaliate with a massive document dump? What about the First Amendment?
Foreign Policy and Tonight's Debate Both Barack Obama and John McCain have now indicated they will show up tonight to debate foreign policy at the University of Mississippi. What are the voters learning about the styles and approaches of McCain and Obama? What are their differences and similarities on dealing with Russia, North Korea, Iran and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?
The Curtin Rises on the Democratic National Convention Barack Obama 's campaign began with the promise of change from business as usual in Washington. Then came the primaries; now comes the selection of veteran Delaware Senator Joseph Biden . Today, Obama has four days to reverse the slide, which now has him virtually tied with John McCain in what's supposed to be a Democratic year. This week's convention could be a lot more important than anybody expected. The delegates are still getting used to Obama's vice presidential choice, and it's not certain how many Hillary Clinton supporters are on board. Why Denver? What's the "western states strategy?" How about the pressure on tonight's main speaker, Michelle Obama ?
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?
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.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
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?