Politics - Aug. 31, 2009
Kim Dae-jung: Great Korean Leader, Great American Friend
           Former President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea died this week at the age of eighty-five. His extraordinary career demonstrates the triumph of discipline and determination over tremendous barriers. He also personifies the long-term value o...
Tags: Kim, Kim Dae-jung, Korea, South Korea, Republic of Korea, ROK, Lincoln, Mandela, Chun, Park, foreign policy, diplomacy, Korean War

Politics - July 19, 2009
Two foreign policy models
A couple of weeks ago, a Des Moines reader left this comment after a post about the rise of the movement for democracy in Iran after the national election: “Well nobody [Obama] spoke out and they still got their butts kicked around and then some. Are you defending or giving credit to pr...
Tags: foreign policy

Politics - May 28, 2009
Middle East Turmoil - Israel & the U.S.
The visit to Washington of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has been free of public acrimony. Some predicted a contentious meeting with President Barack Obama given the particularly hard-line personality of the Israeli leader. Instead, Netanyahu has emphasized support for an independen...
Tags: U.S., foreign policy, Obama, Israel, Netanyahyu, Palestinians, terrorism

Politics - May 27, 2009
Afghanistan War Deaths
Current very public attention to civilian deaths in Afghanistan underscores the challenging nature of the vexing ongoing guerrilla war. On May 4, according to allegations, civilians were killed during an Allied operation. Taliban insurgents entered a village in Bala Bulak in western Afghanistan a...
Tags: Afghanistan, U.S., Foreign Policy, Gates, Obama, Iraq, Taliban, Al Qaeda

Politics - March 12, 2009
Afghanistan & Vietnam
          The new Obama administration has been forthright in redirecting primary attention in the war on terrorist groups to Afghanistan, where the Taliban - a vital al Qaeda ally – is becoming stronger.        ...
Tags: Foreign Policy, Politics, War, U.S., Obama, Gates, Baker, Hamilton, Hanoi, Viet Cong, PBS