former Washington Correspondent, Le Monde
Former Washington Correspondent for Le Monde, a leading French daily newspaper
PROFILE
Patrice de Beer
Guest
FROM Patrice de Beer
Which Way, L.A.?
How Does Obama's Victory Look to the Rest of the World? Barack Obama 's historic win has been cause for celebration among many Americans, including African Americans who thought they might never see the day a black man would come so close to the White House. Obama's grandmother was watching from Kenya, and so was the rest of the world. What does his historic primary victory mean to people outside of the United States? Is his primary victory causing America's friends and foes to see the country in a new light? Would a President Obama worry old allies or help create new ones? Who's rooting for John McCain ?
To the Point
How Does Obama's Victory Look to the Rest of the World? Barack Obama 's historic win has been cause for celebration among many Americans, including African Americans who thought they might never see the day a black man would come so close to the White House. Obama's grandmother was watching from Kenya, and so was the rest of the world. What does his historic primary victory mean to people outside of the United States? Is his primary victory causing America's friends and foes to see the country in a new light? Would a President Obama worry old allies or help create new ones? Who's rooting for John McCain ?
Which Way, L.A.?
The Politics of Peacekeeping As the United Nations wrangles over the peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, the big question is whether there will be enough troops to enforce the ceasefire before it collapses. Europe is the obvious place for the soldiers to come from, and today it appears that Italy would take over for France as the leader. But the European Union won't even meet until Wednesday and the UN wants the first contingent in the country by early next week. Meantime, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire resolution after Israeli commandos were dropped into Lebanon's Bekaa Valley Saturday morning, in what might have been an anti-arms-smuggling mission or an attempt to rescue two kidnapped soldiers. We get perspectives from Paris, Beirut and Jerusalem. (An extended version of this discussion originally aired earlier today on To the Point.)
To the Point
The Politics of Peacekeeping France is not the only nation in Europe with cold feet about sending troops to southern Lebanon. Italy, Spain and Finland want to know if the rules of engagement will require their soldiers to make the peace or just keep it. Will they have to disarm Hezbollah? Meantime, Israeli commandos engaged Hezbollah 60 miles inside the Lebanese border. Israel says they were trying to stop arms smuggling prohibited by the UN resolution, but Secretary General Kofi Annan says they violated the cease-fire . There are rumors that they were trying to rescue two kidnapped soldiers. We get perspectives from Paris, Beirut and Jerusalem, and hear about a new UN resolution proposed by the US.
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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
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?
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.
To the Point
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.