All Foreign Policy
US punishes Venezuela over brutal crackdown in spring. Why now?Pressure from Congress to impose sanctions over the repression, in which 40 protesters were killed and scores jailed, spiked after the failed extradition this week of a Venezuelan general, an alleged cocaine trafficker.
No Gaza cease-fire: Dramatic shift in Egypt deprived Kerry of vital toolSecretary Kerry has come under harsh criticism, particularly in Israel, for his efforts to secure a cease-fire in Gaza. Experts say Egypt's shift vis-脿-vis Hamas has made diplomacy much harder.
Israel rejects Gaza cease-fire plan: what was in Kerry's proposalAfter nearly four full days of shuttle diplomacy, Israel's security cabinet rejected Kerry's two-step plan for a Gaza cease-fire, which included international guarantors of post-truce negotiations.
Central American leaders on solving child migrant crisis: We can't do it aloneThe presidents of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras meet with President Obama and Vice President Biden on Friday, and two of them discussed the child migrant crisis ahead of time on Thursday.
FAA lifts ban on US flights to Israel, but not before accusations flyBefore the FAA ban was lifted, Secretary of State John Kerry met with an angry Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, some Obama administration critics found political intent in the agency鈥檚 order.
Gaza crisis: Arab divisions over Hamas making Kerry's job even tougherAs Kerry shuttled in search of a cease-fire, the FAA extended a flight ban to Ben Gurion Airport that Israel sees as a concession to terrorists. Some Arab states appear wary of a deal that strengthens Hamas.
FAA bans US flights to Tel Aviv airport, as Israeli critics cry foulThe Federal Aviation Administration order comes after several US airlines had already canceled flights, citing safety concerns. Israeli official dubs the move a 'prize to terror.'
Gaza crisis: Kerry rushes to Cairo, but does he have a strategy?Kerry appeared to be chomping at the bit before he dashed to Cairo, hoping to end the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip. The cost of failure is high, some experts say.
World dangers test US resolve, including Obama鈥檚President Obama has been criticized for "leading from behind" on foreign policy. Secretary of State John Kerry counters that the US is heavily engaged around the world and to great effect, an assertion critics scoff at.
Increasing evidence of Russian involvement in Malaysia Airlines shoot-downInternational pressure on Russia is mounting as new intelligence shows Russian involvement in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine. Black boxes and other critical evidence may have been tampered with.
As Israel-Gaza hostilities deepen, US mostly stays out of it. A mistake?Standing back from the fray between Israel and Gaza is in part a reflection of a 鈥榗old-eyed鈥� realist perspective that President Obama has adopted, some experts say.
Malaysia jet tragedy: Obama responds with full-court press on RussiaObama's remarks and statements by Pentagon officials and the US ambassador at the UN seemed a coordinated effort to use the Malaysia jet tragedy as a means to pressure Russia to end the strife in Ukraine.
Malaysian plane downing: Will it change course of Ukraine conflict?The downing of a Malaysian passenger plane by a surface-to-air missile over rebel-held Ukraine would seem to be a game-changer in the conflict. But security analysts hold out little expectation that will be the case. A wild card? Germany.
Ukraine: Stressing coordination with EU, US tightens sanctions on RussiaOfficials said Obama was willing to go it alone with the additional sanctions, but that聽the coordinated action demonstrated a 'common purpose' against Russia鈥檚 support for Ukraine separatists.聽
Iran nuclear talks: If Kerry seeks extension, will Congress go along?Kerry鈥檚 assessment of the state of negotiations between world powers and Iran suggests he is likely to recommend some extension in the talks when he meets with Obama and congressional leaders this week.
North Korea missiles and rockets: What message from Kim this time?North Korea fired at least 100 rockets into the sea Monday, a day after test-launching missiles in violation of UN resolutions. The belligerence from leader Kim Jong-un comes ahead of US-South Korea joint military drills.
Monitor BreakfastIran's aid to Hamas has bearing on nuclear talks, House panel chief saysHouse Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce tells a Monitor-hosted breakfast that the rockets Hamas is firing deep into Israel should be a reminder to nuclear negotiators that Iran can鈥檛 easily be trusted.
Jailed US Marine: a wrong turn in Mexico, a furor back homeMarine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi says he crossed into Mexico with firearms illegal in that country by mistake. Mexican authorities aren't convinced. Critics blame US authorities for doing too little to secure his release.
Iran connection: Why are Gaza rockets reaching so deep into Israel?A recent United Nations report, still classified, confirms that Iran is implicated in exporting longer-range missiles to the region, such as the M-302 rockets launched from Gaza.
Boko Haram 'scourge' a warning sign for all West Africa, envoy saysThe United Nations' special representative for West Africa says the Boko Haram kidnapping of 270 schoolgirls speaks to deeper instability in the region.