Middle East Policy Council
Richard Schmierer is a member of the Board at the Middle East Policy Council.
Schmierer served as director of Iraqi Affairs at the US State Department from 2007-2009, when he was appointed as US ambassador to Oman. He served in that capacity until 2012.
Military escalation… without diplomacy President Trump wants the Pentagon to "fight to win," and battlefield commanders now make decisions that used to come from the Obama White House. There's been increased action in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, and a dramatic rise in civilian casualties — providing fodder for Islamic State propaganda. What's missing is diplomacy and political planning for what to do when the wars are over. But even Trump's critics say Obama didn't have any "endgames" either. We hear about America's increased involvement in murky wars where victory might be possible… but not sustainable.
US Blames Iran for Escalating Violence in Iraq Iran has suspended talks with the US on Iraqi security, denouncing US attacks on Shiite militias in Baghdad. The US accuses Iran of supplying the militias with weapons. Charges and counter-charges fly amid increasing violence in a complex political labyrinth. Does support for the Maliki government mean taking sides in a Shiite civil war? Is the US fighting a proxy war with Iran? We update conditions on the ground and the prospects for stability in Iraq before both US and Iraqi elections.
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?
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
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.
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.