Russian President Vladimir Putin may be interested in pursuing a cease-fire in the Ukraine war, Reuters reported in late May. According to sources close to Putin, he is willing to stop the fighting and maintain the current frontlines between Ukrainian and Russian forces. As one source reportedly said, “Putin can fight for as long as … Continue reading A Slim but Real Chance for Peace: Seeking a Diplomatic Solution to the Ukraine War
Category: US Foreign Policy
Crackdown on Campus: The Harsh Response to Pro-Palestinian Protests
The Gaza war continues to make itself felt in the United States, most notably in a wave of protests and confrontations across American college and university campuses this spring. Campus protests on behalf of the Palestinians and in opposition to Israel grew dramatically last fall after the October 7 attacks and subsequent Israeli campaign against … Continue reading Crackdown on Campus: The Harsh Response to Pro-Palestinian Protests
“A Tragedy Beyond Words”: The Devastating Effects of the Gaza War
More than seven months after the October 7 terrorist attacks, the Israeli war in Gaza grinds on, with no clear end in sight. The war’s most likely near-term outcomes are a continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and possibly a wider war in the Middle East. An end to the war and efforts to remedy the … Continue reading “A Tragedy Beyond Words”: The Devastating Effects of the Gaza War
A Stalemate Is the Best Option: The Future of the Ukraine War
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now entered its third year. The war currently seems to be a stalemate. However, either the Russians or Ukrainians might have a break-through and rapidly gain ground, potentially leading to a crisis for the losing side. The risk also remains of the war escalating into a broader conflict between … Continue reading A Stalemate Is the Best Option: The Future of the Ukraine War
Ripples from Gaza: The Threat of a Wider Middle East War
The Gaza War has taken a terrible human toll within Israel and Palestine while also threatening to escalate into a larger regional war. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has had violent repercussions in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen and the Red Sea. The recent strikes by the United States and its allies on Yemen are the latest … Continue reading Ripples from Gaza: The Threat of a Wider Middle East War
World Out of Balance: Reflections on Selective Concern about Violent Conflicts
I have periodically written about violent conflicts that are generally overlooked in the United States. In 2023, I reviewed Ethiopia’s recent civil war, the collapse of Haiti’s government, and Sudan’s civil strife.[1] Given that these bloody and tragic events have attracted comparatively little attention, I must ask: Why do some conflicts receive significantly more attention … Continue reading World Out of Balance: Reflections on Selective Concern about Violent Conflicts
“They Destroyed Everything That Had Kept Me Here”: Rising Violence in the West Bank
While world attention has understandably been focused over the past month on the Israel-Hamas violence centered around the Gaza Strip, violence has also been escalating in the West Bank. Long-running Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has intensified since Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis, most of them civilians.[1] … Continue reading “They Destroyed Everything That Had Kept Me Here”: Rising Violence in the West Bank
Sleepwalking toward Nuclear War: The Lessons of the Able Archer Scare
Since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, nations have repeatedly come close to using nuclear weapons again and even to all-out nuclear war. The most famous episode in which nations came close to nuclear war was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.[1] However, another terrifying case of narrowly averted nuclear war occurred 40 years ago this … Continue reading Sleepwalking toward Nuclear War: The Lessons of the Able Archer Scare
People in Need of a Safe Haven: The Struggle to Help Afghan Refugees
The Afghan people are suffering today from both the Taliban’s repressive rule and international economic penalties imposed on their nation. The United States can help Afghans by reducing the penalties on Afghanistan, as well as by giving refugees fleeing Taliban rule a safe haven within its borders.[1] Various legal routes to refuge are theoretically available … Continue reading People in Need of a Safe Haven: The Struggle to Help Afghan Refugees
A War That No One Will Win: The Violence in Israel and Palestine
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has erupted into a terrible new wave of violence. To date, thousands of people, including over 1,500 Palestinians and over 1,200 people in Israel, have been killed. Thousands more have been injured.[1] If not stopped, the violence seems destined to escalate to ever-more-devastating levels. The Attack The violence began October 7, when … Continue reading A War That No One Will Win: The Violence in Israel and Palestine
Peacemaking for Life 