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International Diplomacy

Iran
commentary
Iran, the Unitary State
Afshon Ostovar, Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai
Oct 18, 2019
Foreign Affairs
Current and future U.S. policy toward Iran must begin with the premise that the Islamic Republic is the sum of its parts and that to try to empower moderates or disempower hard-liners is naive. Rather, Washington should strive to deal with Iran as it is, not as Washington wishes it were.
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Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
U.S. Economic War on China Weakens Nuclear North Korea, Too
Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
Oct 18, 2019
Nikkei Asian Review
An effective mechanism for bending North Korea's toward denuclearization may be exerting consistent and targeted political, economic, and security pressure on China. Diminishing Beijing's relevance, while not a panacea, could pierce Kim's illusion of invincibility and place him in a bind to make some substantial concessions.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Indecision in Washington Compounded the Kurds' Dilemma
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini
Oct 18, 2019
The Hill
Core qualities of statesmanship and statecraft have been notably lacking in charting the U.S. administration's Syria end game. This has compounded the unavoidable costs of withdrawal with charges of betrayal and a retreat under fire.
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Iran
commentary
Iran's Proxies Are More Powerful Than Ever
Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Oct 16, 2019
Foreign Policy
The Trump administration has pursued a so-called maximum pressure strategy designed to alter the course of Iran's foreign and security policies, which relies heavily on sanctions to change Iranian behavior. Financial sanctions are an important part of any counterterrorism strategy. But they aren't enough.
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International Economic Relations
commentary
The Emerging U.S.–China Strategic Competition and the Role of Trans-Atlantic Cooperation
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Oct 8, 2019
Institut Montaigne
When competing with China, what role should U.S. alliances, especially the transatlantic relationships the United States has with its European partners, play? This question is potentially decisive for whether or not any strategy adopted by the U.S. to compete with China will succeed or fail.
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Taiwan
commentary
China Will Struggle to Shut Taiwan Out of the Pacific
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Oct 3, 2019
The Hill
With the decisions of the Solomon Islands and Kiribati to recognize Beijing over Taipei, the list of Taiwan's official diplomatic partners has decreased to 15. But China is likely to have a difficult time eliminating Taiwan's presence diplomatically in the Pacific.
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China
commentary
The China Dream: Never Closer, yet Never More Elusive
Timothy R. Heath
Oct 1, 2019
The Hill
To achieve its goals of national rejuvenation, China needs to become a true world power. But a softening economy and political gridlock make it seem less and less likely that Beijing will realize all of its objectives.
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China
commentary
How Not to Confront China
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne, James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Sep 23, 2019
The National Interest
There are several key reasons why current U.S. policy toward China may not help advance America's competitiveness or enlist much support abroad. Most notably, the administration has yet to explain what it ultimately hopes to accomplish.
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Arctic Region
commentary
Engaging with Greenland
Scott Stephenson
Sep 23, 2019
The RAND Blog
Greenland's resources and geographic position would confer economic and strategic value to the United States. But its postcolonial history and unique governance regime complicate the prospect of direct ownership.
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China
commentary
Beyond Hawks and Doves: A Better Way to Debate U.S.–China Policy
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Sep 20, 2019
China File
The best long-term outcome for U.S.–China relations may be one in which inexorably intensifying competition coexists with occasionally fruitful cooperation. It is not the most inspiring result, to be sure, but it is preferable to unconstrained antagonism.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
South Korea–Japan Tensions Complicate U.S. Efforts to Leverage Allies in Competition with China
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Sep 17, 2019
Institut Montaigne
The rapid deterioration of ties between South Korea and Japan not only undercuts America's Indo-Pacific strategy, it also increases the risks to U.S. allies and partners in the region. Just how consequential is the growing South Korea–Japan tension for U.S. strategy and what is Washington doing to address the issue?
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Israel
commentary
Israel’s War with Iran May Be Going Too Far
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Sep 16, 2019
The National Interest
Israel has a right to defend itself from Iranian threats to its country. American leaders should consider balancing support for Israel's efforts to counter Iran with firm redlines about activities negatively impacting American interests.
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Taiwan
commentary
A Tale of Two Cities China Ignores at Its Peril
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Sep 12, 2019
South China Morning Post
Beijing may believe that, eventually, Taiwanese politics will turn in its favor. But it should consider experiences from the other two territories currently living under the formula—Hong Kong and Macau—to better understand why “one country, two systems” will never work in Taiwan, regardless of politics.
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United States
commentary
Time to Return to the Basics of Statecraft
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Sep 4, 2019
The Wall Street Journal
After two decades of setbacks abroad, it's time to ask whether the decline in American influence is irreversible. Ultimately, neither China nor Russia is responsible for these difficulties. Washington's failures have been self-inflicted, the result of flawed policy rather than any decisive shift in the global balance of power.
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International Economic Relations
commentary
Maintaining the U.S. Edge in the Freely Associated States
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman, Michael S. Chase
Sep 3, 2019
East Asia Forum
In the geo-strategically vital region of the Freely Associated States (FAS), China is increasingly competing with the United States for influence. The United States and its allies and partners will need to engage not only with economic aid, but also with other issues including health, economic development, natural disasters, climate change and illegal fishing to sustain a strong partnership with the FAS.
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Japan
commentary
Japan's Hormuz Dilemma
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Aug 16, 2019
The Hill
Japan is a staunch U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific. But any decision to support a coalition against Iran in the Middle East is likely to put Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a tough position.
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