In a fascinating display of diplomatic balancing, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in India this past week to urge the Indian government to tighten sanctions on Iran, at the same time that an Iranian trade delegation was there exploring ways to circumvent those very sanctions. This is the latest example of India’s creative efforts to maintain good relations with both Washington and Tehran.
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The Realist Prism: Clearing Iran From the U.S.-India Agenda
The entry of the centrist Kadima party into the Israeli government has made Benjamin Netanyahu one of the country’s most powerful prime ministers ever. That’s not just a footnote for the history books. It is a reality with enormous implications for all the pressing issues facing the country and for many that concern the region and the world.
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World Citizen: Israeli Realignment Changes Prospects for Peace and War
The Camp David peace accords that brought an end to the wars between Israel and Egypt are a triumph of American diplomacy. The U.S. can take credit for shepherding the deal and then enabling its implementation through the years. Today, though, Americans do not fully appreciate the absence of war between Israeli and Egypt or the effort required to protect what is often described as a “cold peace.”
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Abu Muqawama: U.S. Must Shore Up Fragile Israel-Egypt Peace
One issue that warrants greater attention from Washington policymakers moving forward is how relations between Russia and China will affect those two countries’ policies relating to nuclear arms control. In particular, the next administration needs to consider how the U.S. can help shape this evolving relationship so that it moves in benign directions, while hedging against possible adverse outcomes.
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Global Insights: Factoring China Into U.S.-Russian Nuclear Arms Control
Top Obama foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough told a Washington security conference Sunday that the White House’s policy toward Iran is working and that U.S.-Israeli relations are tighter than ever. His remarks come as the Obama administration’s national security team has been making a notably more public push in recent days to make the case for Obama’s foreign policy leadership to wider audiences.
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Deep State: Obama Team’s Full-Court Press on Mideast Policy