CFR.org - Op-Eds

Trump Should Be Wary of Putin’s Syria Plan

Stephen Sestanovich — Fri, 12 May 2017 12:39:23 -0400

The deal Russia is offering would empower America’s adversaries far more than America’s friends, writes Stephen Sestanovich.

France's Election Proves It—America Is Now an Example of What Not to Do

Max Boot — Mon, 08 May 2017 17:35:23 -0400

Americans have a long and ignoble tradition of telling jokes about the French. Old chestnuts such as “I'm selling a French rifle: Never shot, dropped only once” became popular again in 2003 when the French — wisely as it turns out — refused to join their U.S. allies in the invasion of Iraq. The House of Representatives cafeteria even renamed French fries, “freedom fries.” Turns out the joke’s on us.

Russiagate: Trump Is Trying to Put Out a Fire With More Smoke

Max Boot — Mon, 08 May 2017 12:55:19 -0400

There’s a lot we know—and even more we don’t know—regarding the Kremlin interference in the U.S. election last year. The most important thing we know is that there was interference. This is the consensus, “high confidence” assessment of the U.S. intelligence community, which further concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump. That in and of itself is scandalous enough. What we don’t know—and need to find out—is whether the Trump campaign actively colluded with this Russian operation and, more broadly, what links if any exist between the U.S. president and the dictator in the Kremlin.

How to Clean Up the Mess in Venezuela

Shannon K. O'Neil — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 14:10:00 -0400

To stop the worst hemispheric crisis in decades, President Donald Trump needs a policy that includes not only tough words but also concrete actions. But the United States can’t do it alone. To help rather than hurt U.S. interests, the United States should assemble a diplomatic effort against Venezuela's increasingly repressive regime, writes Shannon O’Neil.

America Is Getting Used to Trump’s Insanity

Max Boot — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 14:06:39 -0400

The president has managed to accomplish at least one big thing in his first 100 days: the once unthinkable is now unremarkable.

I Will March for Science on Saturday — So Should You

Laurie Garrett — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 16:37:02 -0400

Laurie Garrett argues that President Trump’s cuts to pure science and vital agencies risk generational damage to the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.

A Taiwanese Man’s Detention in Guangdong Threatens a Key Pillar of Cross-Straits Relations

Jerome A. Cohen and Yu-Jie Chen — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 15:08:33 -0400

In this article Jerome Cohen and Yu-Jie Chen examine the case of Lee Ming-che, a Taiwanese human rights activist who was detained in China, and the risks his detention poses for cross-strait relations.

Don’t Abdicate America’s Leadership Role at the IMF

Douglas A. Rediker and Heidi Crebo-Rediker — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:29:51 -0400

During his campaign, Donald Trump persuaded voters that he would look after “America First.” It would be hard to find an institution that plays a greater role in supporting the economic and strategic interests of the United States than does the IMF. Therefore, it would be in the United States’ and the world’s interests if Secretary Mnuchin were to deliver a strong and clear statement of support for the IMF from its biggest beneficiary.

Trump's Making a Big Strategic Mistake on Human Rights

Max Boot — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:09:27 -0400

It’s one thing to hold your nose and work with Erdogan despite his human-rights abuses. It’s another thing to actually praise him for destroying Turkish democracy.

Women’s Empowerment Starts at the Bank

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 13:03:24 -0400

Financial inclusion is a necessary step to women’s economic advancement – and consequently to global economic growth and sustainable development. While new technological developments have helped raise the number of women with a bank account, there are still 42 percent of women around the world without one.

Is Trump’s Axis of Adults Beating Down the Cabal of Crazies?

Max Boot — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 12:41:05 -0400

Approaching his 100-day mark with little to show for it but a new Supreme Court justice, Donald Trump is shedding his past positions faster than a stock trader getting rid of underperforming stocks.

France’s Turmoil Makes Brexit Seem Tame

Sebastian Mallaby — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 09:37:34 -0400

As Theresa May calls for surprise elections in the UK, Sebastian Mallaby reminds his reader to keep an eye on France, where upcoming presidential elections spell trouble.

RIP Turkey, 1921 - 2017

Steven A. Cook — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 16:04:58 -0400

The Turkish public seems to have given President Erdogan and his party license to reorganize the state and, in the process, raze the values on which it was built, writes CFR's Steven A. Cook.

"Mother of All Bombs" Reminds Us That America Is Still at War in Afghanistan

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 13:48:35 -0400

In the wake of the “mother of all bombs,” Gayle Tzemach Lemmon argues that the war in Afghanistan requires greater national attention, discussion, understanding, and strategy.

Sound and Fury

Max Boot — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:49:20 -0400

The dropping of the Mother of All Bombs in Afghanistan shouldn’t be cause for unseemly celebration; instead it should be taken as a sign that the war in Afghanistan isn't going well.

The Second Year of Europe

Richard N. Haass — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 09:43:54 -0400

French election results could mean the end of the country's membership in both the European Union and NATO, raising existential questions for both organizations, and for all of Europe, writes CFR President Richard N. Haass.

Four Good Reasons to Care About Ukraine

Richard N. Haass — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 08:21:44 -0400

It is important that President Vladimir Putin not conclude that continued use of force is a viable path to make Russia great again, writes CFR's Richard N. Haass.

How Will Trump Get Us From Tomahawks to the Peace Table?

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 14:51:12 -0400

While numerous questions remain as to how the Syrian conflict will end, all sides agree that talks should continue in Geneva. “The Geneva process is exhausting and frequently has felt futile,” writes Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, “…but it still exists and offers a framework to end these wars.”

Don’t Politicize the Federal Reserve

Robert E. Rubin — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 10:07:18 -0400

An independent Federal Reserve is critically important to the U.S. economy, the well-being of the people, and the market credibility of Fed policy making, writes CFR's Robert Rubin.

Don’t Count on Russia to Get Rid of Assad

Philip H. Gordon — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 16:21:37 -0400

Writing in the Washington Post, Philip Gordon argues that it will take a lot more than a single set of airstrikes to get Russia to abandon its support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad.

The Trump Doctrine Was Written By CNN

Max Boot — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:44:06 -0400

Far from decisive, Trump’s decision to fire cruise missiles against a single air base in Syria was reminiscent of the kind of low-risk cruise missile attacks that Republicans have mocked in the past for their symbolic, ineffectual nature. While it is a good thing Trump did act, it is hard to know what larger lessons about U.S. policy in the world or in Syria itself one can draw from this decision. The Trump doctrine appears to be: The United States reserves the right to use force whenever the president is upset by something he sees on TV.

How Trump Can Help Cripple the Iranian Regime

Reuel Gerecht and Ray Takeyh — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 16:07:05 -0400

The United States can cripple the Iranian regime if it doesn’t compromise the battle on the ground for fear of compromising arms control, argue Reuel Gerecht and CFR’s Ray Takeyh. America should fight Iran’s proxy militias in the regions, support popular movements against the Islamic Republic, and make human rights a priority for its Iran policy.

Syria’s Assad Must Pay a Price for Using Chemical Weapons

Richard N. Haass — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 12:44:30 -0400

The United States and its allies have a rare second chance to punish Syria for attacking civilians with chemical weapons or else risk the further weakening of global norms against the use of weapons of mass destruction, writes CFR President Richard N. Haass.

What Was the Legal Basis for the U.S. Air Strikes Against Syria?

John B. Bellinger III — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 09:28:07 -0400

The United States has just launched a missile attack against Syrian air bases, apparently in response to the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. (The attack apparently was launched in the middle of President Trump's dinner with Chinese President Xi, and is not likely to make the Chinese very happy.)

The Potential for Progress at the US-China Meeting

Richard N. Haass — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 14:07:53 -0400

The trajectory of the next four years will hinge on whether both sides can avoid a trade or any other kind of war, writes CFR President Richard N. Haass.

Putting Pressure on China Probably Won’t Help U.S. Workers. Here’s What Might.

Sebastian Mallaby — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 12:51:20 -0400

The U.S.-China relationship is one issue on which President Trump’s instincts are at least partly right — for China, let’s be honest, does not always play fair in international economic relations. It has limited respect for intellectual property; it subsidizes strategic industries with bargain loans and export credits; it uses government power over procurement to favor domestic firms.

When It Comes to Syria, the Ball's In Trump's Court

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 10:34:13 -0400

In the wake of the latest chemical attack in Syria, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon questions what—if anything—the Trump administration will do beyond condemn the attack.

How Trump Can Get Xi to Yes on North Korea

Lori Esposito Murray — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:47:06 -0400

President Trump should take into consideration China’s security interests in order to effectively persuade President Xi Jinping to use leverage on North Korea.

Let's Count the Ways Donald Trump Has Gone Where No President Has Gone Before

Max Boot — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 12:04:46 -0400

We are not yet 100 days into the Trump presidency, but already the president has clocked one unenviable milestone after another. It’s all too easy to take for granted the broken norms that characterize this administration. So it’s important to pause and consider all the myriad ways in which Donald Trump has already gone where no president has gone before.

Trump Is Making a Huge Mistake by Giving VIP Treatment to China

Ely Ratner — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 12:57:44 -0400

If President Trump wants to get tough on China, hosting President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago later this week is a big step in the wrong direction.