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International Diplomacy

Chemical Terrorism
commentary
Arms Control Hostage to Skripal and Syria Attacks
William Courtney @courtneywmh
Apr 19, 2018
RealClearDefense
Two prominent poisoning assassination attempts and Kremlin denials of gas attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad raise doubts about Moscow's commitment to the purposes of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Never has the future of negotiated arms control involving Russia been at greater risk.
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Chemical Weapons and Warfare
commentary
A Norm in Crisis: Implications of Persistent Chemical Weapons Use
Natasha Lander
Apr 18, 2018
RealClearDefense
The international community should consider serious options to hold perpetrators of chemical attacks accountable and stop further attacks. These are not easy choices. But the alternative is accepting that long-held norms are crumbling, and the world is sliding back to a time when inhumane tools of war were common.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Why the U.S.-Japan Summit Matters
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Apr 17, 2018
CNN
After a year and half of relative stability, the The United States and Japan now must talk about difficult issues in which they have vested interests. As allies, and close friends, they could both benefit from reconfirming common goals and establishing a set of strategies to deal with challenges.
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Information Operations
commentary
Political Warfare Is Back with a Vengeance
Raphael S. Cohen, Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Apr 13, 2018
The National Interest
The United States' principal adversaries are fighting and gaining ground by employing a host of tactics short of all-out war. This form of warfare, once called political warfare, is back with a vengeance, empowered by new tools and techniques.
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Syria
commentary
Conditioning American Withdrawal from Syria
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini
Apr 9, 2018
Al-Monitor
U.S. forces will soon withdraw from Syria, and the U.S. State Department put a hold on further stabilization assistance to areas liberated from the Islamic State. The U.S. and its partners should offer stabilization and reconstruction help, particularly in regions where much of the damage was the result of American-supported military operations.
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Chemical Terrorism
commentary
Hit Russia Where It Hurts: Take Away World Cup
Andrew Scobell
Apr 5, 2018
United Press International
After a chemical attack in Great Britain, U.K., U.S. and other governments responded unilaterally. But this crime cries out for a more collective response. Revoking Russia's right to host the World Cup tournament would be a powerful signal of global outrage and would hit Putin where it hurts.
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North Korea
blog
Preparing for U.S.-North Korea Talks: Insights from Researcher Bruce Bennett
Apr 5, 2018
If a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump takes place, what are the chances it will lead to meaningful progress? And what should U.S. leaders be thinking about as they prepare? RAND's Bruce Bennett discusses.
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Military Tactics
commentary
China Welcomes Its Newest Armed Force: The Coast Guard
Lyle J. Morris @LyleJMorris
Apr 4, 2018
War on the Rocks
China's recent move to transfer responsibility for the China Coast Guard to the People's Armed Police will have major symbolic implications for China's presence in disputed waters. It can no longer claim its presence in the South China Sea is purely civilian in nature.
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Russia
commentary
Moscow Is Going Too Far
William Courtney @courtneywmh
Apr 3, 2018
The Hill
Russia has become more daring with the West with its retaliatory expulsions and may face a high price. An angered West could turn from expulsions to economic countermeasures.
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Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
What Does Japan Think of the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Mar 26, 2018
The Diplomat
What is Tokyo's view of the Iran nuclear deal and how has Tokyo responded to the U.S. threat to withdraw from it? What role is Japan, the world's third-largest economy, a major U.S. ally, and the only country ever to be attacked with nuclear weapons, likely to play in attempting to preserve, improve, or scrap the deal?
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Vietnam
commentary
Vietnam's Remarkable Month of Balancing Against China in the South China Sea
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Mar 26, 2018
The Diplomat
Vietnam in March very publicly engaged in a string of activities to strengthen deterrence against China in the South China Sea. But Hanoi's push to deepen external defense ties with states that can help its cause will not necessarily translate into greater risk-taking in the region.
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Russia
commentary
Putin Can Learn from Gorbachev on How to Gain from Future U.S. Talks
William Courtney @courtneywmh
Mar 22, 2018
The Hill
Vladimir Putin has won a flawed election to a fourth term as Russia's president, and Donald Trump has suggested the two will likely meet soon. For the Kremlin leader, however, a summit may draw shortcomings into sharper relief. If the two presidents meet, several key issues will await them.
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North Korea
commentary
What Will Kim Jong Un Want and What He Might Give
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Mar 12, 2018
The Hill
Verifiable denuclearization is an impossible goal, not just because Kim Jong Un may not agree, but because such a deal couldn't be fully verified if he did. But this doesn't mean there is no deal worth making for America.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Can Europe Save the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye, James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Mar 12, 2018
Reuters
In mid-January, President Trump threatened to withdraw from the Iran agreement if Europe does not “fix” it within four months. There are viable steps Europe could take to address Trump's concerns about the deal — on missile development, inspections, and sunset clauses. However, if the U.S. withdraws, Europe could still work with other international powers to keep the deal alive.
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
Could Putin's Speech Signal the Erosion of Nuclear Nonproliferation?
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Mar 7, 2018
The Hill
Russian President Vladimir Putin has linked the development of new nuclear weapons capabilities to the United States' refusal to collaborate on arms control. Perhaps before Russia goes down this path, another attempt at dialogue would be beneficial as both nations have expressed a shared interest in limiting nuclear proliferation.
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China
commentary
Book Review: Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Mar 7, 2018
Los Angeles Review of Books
In Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony Kori Schake discusses the world's peaceful transition from British Empire to United States preeminence. She also considers the implications of her analysis for the present dynamics between a preeminent United States and a resurgent China.
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International Diplomacy

Arms Control Hostage to Skripal and Syria Attacks

A Norm in Crisis: Implications of Persistent Chemical Weapons Use

Why the U.S.-Japan Summit Matters

Political Warfare Is Back with a Vengeance

Conditioning American Withdrawal from Syria

Hit Russia Where It Hurts: Take Away World Cup

Preparing for U.S.-North Korea Talks: Insights from Researcher Bruce Bennett

China Welcomes Its Newest Armed Force: The Coast Guard

Moscow Is Going Too Far

What Does Japan Think of the Iran Nuclear Deal?

Vietnam's Remarkable Month of Balancing Against China in the South China Sea

Putin Can Learn from Gorbachev on How to Gain from Future U.S. Talks

What Will Kim Jong Un Want and What He Might Give

Can Europe Save the Iran Nuclear Deal?

Could Putin's Speech Signal the Erosion of Nuclear Nonproliferation?

Book Review: Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony

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