Foggy Bottom

February 1, 2023 | Reuel Marc Gerecht

A classified swamp

When Donald Trump won the presidency, an editor at a major liberal publication asked me if I would write a piece on why Trump should be denied access to the nation’s secrets . While I could sympathize...

June 9, 2022 | Ivana Stradner, Michael Rubin

Henry Kissinger’s Long History of Appeasing Dictatorships

He’s spent decades cultivating a friendship with Putin, but he’s also advocated for Iran and China.

November 26, 2021 | Aykan Erdemir, Paul Gadalla

Russia’s Power Games Extend to the Orthodox Church

Pushing back against Russia’s multipronged assault on the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which includes Putin and Erdogan’s coordinated pressure on an institution they see as posing a threat to their respective illiberal projects, requires devising and implementing a concerted transatlantic strategy.

September 29, 2021 | Aykan Erdemir |

Congress Joins European Allies in Targeting Erdogan’s Far-Right Partners

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on September 23 that includes an amendment requiring the secretary of state to submit a report assessing whether Turkey’s Grey Wolves — a far-right militant...

September 10, 2021 | Thomas Joscelyn |

How Taliban Revisionism Helped Doom Our Mission in Afghanistan

America’s policy has been divorced from reality for some years now.

August 21, 2021 | David Maxwell |

Flawed assumptions led to tragic outcomes in Afghanistan

Many Afghanistan post-mortems will be written. All will identify many problems. But two major flaws in U.S. policy are readily apparent and warrant immediate attention. Although it is too soon to draw definitive...

July 18, 2021 | Dr. Brenda Shaffer |

The Impact of the Ahwaz protests in Iran

Iran’s Ahwazi Arab minority on July 7 launched extensive anti-regime protests centered in the country’s western Khuzestan Province. Extreme water shortages affecting the Ahwaz were the catalyst for...

June 3, 2021 | Aykan Erdemir, Tuğba Tanyeri-Erdemir

State Department Should Deliver an Honest Message about Turkey’s Religious Freedom Record

The US Department of State’s annual report on international religious freedom, released on May 12, documents the ongoing erosion of freedom of religion or belief in Turkey. The report echoes the concerns...

April 8, 2021 | Thomas Joscelyn |

The Biden Administration Shouldn’t Make Any More Concessions to the Taliban

The group wants a caliphate, not a power-sharing arrangement with the Afghan government.

March 11, 2021 | Thomas Joscelyn |

The Biden Administration’s Afghan ‘Peace Plan’ Is an Act of Desperation

On Sunday, March 7, an Afghan media outlet, TOLOnews, published a leaked letter from Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to President Ashraf Ghani. TOLOnews also published an eight-page “peace”...

March 2, 2021 | Aykan Erdemir |

House Joins Senate’s Call for Tougher Action Against Erdogan

One hundred seventy U.S. House members released a bipartisan letter Monday urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address “the troubling human rights abuses taking place under [Turkish] President...

April 17, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

State Department Report Highlights World’s Deadliest Weapons

Potential nuclear tests in China, a whole list of problems with Russia, and let's not forget North Korea and Iran.

April 13, 2020 | Reuel Marc Gerecht |

The Islamic Revolution vs. Donald Trump

Iran and Ayatollah Khamenei are more influential today than at any time since 1979.

April 10, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Why China Sunk a Vietnamese Fishing Boat During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Chinese Communist Party has aggressive intentions in the South China Sea.

April 8, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Henry Kissinger’s Illusory World Order

He writes about how coronavirus will change the world without even mentioning China.

August 24, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

U.S. announces rewards for 3 Islamic State leaders

On Aug. 21, the US State Department Rewards for Justice Program announced rewards of up to $5 million each for three wanted Islamic State (ISIS) leaders: Sami Jasim Muhammad al-Jaburi, Amir Muhammad...

July 3, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

State Department designates Hizballah operative, Baloch separatist group

[caption id="attachment_95719" align="alignnone" width="1024"]...

December 2, 2018 | John Hannah

Once Upon a Time, U.S. Foreign Policy Worked

George H.W. Bush's administration was evidence of what the establishment was capable of.

July 13, 2018 | John Hannah |

Putin Sees Trump as an Easy Mark on Syria

As U.S. President Donald Trump approaches his July 16 summit in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin, there’s much speculation that Syria will be near the top of the agenda. Trump is repo...

April 12, 2018 | Reuel Marc Gerecht

John Bolton: A complex worldview that just might work for Trump

Long before John Bolton was named as President Trump's new national security adviser, a position he assumes on Monday, his name sparked diametrically opposite reactions in Washington....