All Foreign Policy
Egypt: Violence increases pressure on Obama to 'pick sides'Obama has said the US is 'not aligned with' any side in the strife in Egypt, but with growing Egyptian fears their country could slip into civil war, the pressure to abandon US neutrality mounts.
Venezuela, Nicaragua offer Edward Snowden asylum. For real?The leaders of Venezuela and Nicaragua have offered asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. But are the offers genuine, or just a way to tweak their powerful neighbor to the north?
Should US suspend military aid to Egypt, to try to speed new elections?US influence over events in Egypt is scant. But the US does give $1.6 billion a year in aid, mainly to Egypt's military 鈥� and some argue that now is the time to use those dollars as leverage to speed new elections and a return to constitutional order.聽
Military ouster of Egypt's Morsi: US position goes from worse to badBefore the Egyptian military ousted President Morsi, the US was聽caught between a democratically elected leader and the democratic forces seeking his removal. But it's still in a tight spot.
Wildlife trafficking: US initiative in Africa 'really about people'The US wildlife initiative to stop poaching of elephants and other animals aims to address each level of an expanding illegal global market that is rivaling the global narcotics, arms, and human trafficking markets.
Edward Snowden to Venezuela? Bolivia? Chatter about asylum sites morphing.Asylum options for leaker Edward Snowden keep narrowing. Even countries that don't mind poking the US aren't necessarily ready to take him in.
Snowden seeks asylum in Russia even as Obama, Putin play down crisisThe FBI and Russia鈥檚 FSB security agency are in talks ordered by Obama and Putin to try to find a way to end the standoff over Edward Snowden, a Russian news agency reported.
John Kerry leaves Mideast citing 鈥榩rogress.鈥� Why sides are mum on how much.John Kerry left top aides behind in the Mideast to underscore that his efforts to secure a resumption of Israeli-Palestinians talks had made 'real progress.' He vowed to return soon.
Israel greets Kerry with settlement declaration. Could that signal progress?Israel's settlement announcement would seem to be a slap at Kerry's efforts to reopen peace talks. But as one Mideast veteran puts it, Netanyahu 'takes a step backward before he takes a step forward.'
With more at stake, US and Russia cool war of words over l'Affaire SnowdenThe Edward Snowden affair elicited a round of threats and needling from US and Russian officials, but the two powers have appeared to pull back, mindful they have more consequential mutual interests.
Obama, off to Africa, aims to reenergize US role there. Is time ripe?President Obama will emphasize benefits of partnering with the US on economic and social development, during his three-nation trip to sub-Saharan Africa. Rising disillusionment with other partners, such as China, may make that idea a slightly easier sell, experts say.
Edward Snowden gives countries a chance to thumb nose at USThe US has long emphasized the importance it gives to the human rights of the citizens of the nations it is dealing with. Now, countries aiding Edward Snowden as he tries to evade US justice can turn the tables on the US.
鈥楩riends of Syria鈥� meeting adds pressure: What is US ready to do?Other countries and the Syrian rebels are awaiting specifics about new US aid, but President Obama is still weighing what steps to take and how far to go, reflecting continuing deep divisions across the administration.
World Refugee Day: UN calls Syria 'worst humanitarian disaster' since cold warAngelina Jolie, in Jordan on World Refugee Day, decries the plight of millions of displaced in Syria. Worldwide, the number of refugees is the highest since the Balkan and Rwanda wars.- Slavery: US gives bad marks to China and Russia in its annual reportThe State Department report on slavery notes that more聽countries are prosecuting traffickers and providing services to rescued victims. But China and Russia are failing to make progress, the US says.
Obama pushes big cut in nuclear weapons. Is that a good idea?In Berlin, President Obama calls for cutting US deployed nuclear weapons by one-third and urges NATO allies to pursue 'the security of a world without nuclear weapons.'
Taliban peace talks hold glimmer of hope, but also unanswerable questionsNo one is predicting an easy road ahead for the peace talks. One key question: How united are the Taliban鈥檚 political and military wings behind this latest reconciliation effort?
As Taliban prepares for peace talks, US braces for disappointmentThe Taliban will open a political office in Qatar, the White House announced Tuesday. This would help prepare for reconciliation talks in which the government of Afghanistan and the US would take part.
Obama, Putin in stare-down over (no, not the Super Bowl ring) Syria warObama and Russia's Vladimir Putin, meeting at the G8 summit, both said they want a negotiated end to the Syria conflict. But that barely masked deep divisions over how best to pressure Syrian President Assad to talk rather than fight.
Iran election: What does Hassan Rohani mean for the United States?Iran's new president聽Hassan Rohani is considered a reform-minded moderate. But聽ruling clerics and the Revolutionary Guard remain in control of Iran's nuclear program and foreign affairs 鈥撀爄ncluding its close relationship with聽the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
