Senior Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations
Van Oppenheim Scholar for the German Council on Foreign Relations and co-author of Ethical Realism: A vision for America's Role in the World; former Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Contributing Editor to the National Interest
Iraq, Iran and America's Credibility Today's Washington Post reminds readers of how the " Vietnam syndrome " dogged a generation of US Presidents. Now, it reports an "Iraq syndrome" is dogging President Bush. Despite denial of any plan to invade Iraq, the administration invaded anyway, based on evidence that turned out to be false. Yesterday, he was compelled to deny speculation that he's planning for war on Iran. Two carrier task forces are threatening Iran and there's confusion about evidence that Iranian weapons are being used against US troops in Iraq. Even Republicans are skeptical about the Administration's current intentions. Allies in Europe are openly worried. What will it take to restore America's credibility?
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
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 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.