North Korea may feel that the time has come to establish relations with the United States as a hedge against unpredictable future relations with Beijing.
WikiLeaks XII: If It Had Its Druthers, Would North Korea Take the U.S. Over China?
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War & Peace
WikiLeaks Cables Reveal Use of Environmentalism by US and UK as Pretext to Keep Natives From Returning to Diego Garcia
Cables revealed plans to create a marine preserve to keep exiled islanders from returning to Diego Garcia, site of a major U.S. military base.
Homegrown Fear Mongering
The recent rash of charges against Somali-Americans on “conspiracy to provide material support” to al-Shabaab, a Somali rebel group on the U.S. terrorism list, seems designed to send a clear message that any support for the militants will lead to criminal prosecution. It also demonstrates the ubiquitous presence of law enforcement in these communities.
Opposition to New START Pits Republicans Against Traditional Allies
Republican foot-dragging on President Obama’s signature nuclear initiative places them at odds with the defense establishment.
Review: Battles to Bridges
Two characteristics of U.S. public diplomacy stand out in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks: the creativity, resourcefulness, and range of the various strategies employed, and their complete and utter failure.
WikiLeaks IX: Wires Show U.S. Embassy Actually Got It Right on Honduras
WikiLeaks’ Honduras documents exemplify the positive side of American diplomacy.
Transparency Fundamentalists
WikiLeaks puts the government through a full body scanner to reveal many dirty secrets. U.S. officials, not surprisingly, have responded with anger. They don’t want their “junk” exposed or touched. No one, from emperors to excursionists, likes to be naked in public. And the latest revelations are the most intrusive yet.
Kashmir: Obama and the Vale of Tears
There are lots of dangerous places in this world: Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Bolivia, Iran, Palestine, Yemen, and Somalia to name a few. But there is only one that could destabilize a large part of the globe and end up killing tens of millions of people. And yet for reasons of state that is the one place the Obama administration will not talk about: Kashmir.
60-Second Expert: The Cheonan Incident
Despite the publication of the Joint Investigation Group’s definitive account of the sinking of the South Korean naval corvette, Cheonan, the South Korean public remains skeptical over its conclusion. Opposition politicians, academics, and members of the scientific community have pointed to flaws in the final report, which damage its credibility and throw doubt on its findings.
Joint U.S.-South Korean Military Exercises in Yellow Sea Raise the Ante
North Korean motives for attacking Yeonpyeong Island remain unclear, but U.S. South Korean military exercises run the risk of escalating the situation.