MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Heather Hurlburt

@natsecHeather

  1. world view
    Trump’s North Korea Peace Drive Is OverTwo years after his first meeting with Trump, Kim Jong-un blew up — both literally and figuratively — any remaining hope for a diplomatic resolution.
  2. international affairs
    Trump Has Already Put Himself in No Position to Help Hong KongEven if he wants to, the president has neither the leverage, the diplomatic skill, nor the credibility to stand up to China over its new power grab.
  3. international affairs
    Kim Jong-un’s Health Isn’t North Korea’s Biggest ProblemThe country can manage political chaos. Coronavirus may be another matter.
  4. international affairs
    The U.S. and China Should Be United on COVID-19. Instead, They’re Fighting.Leaders in both countries see the outbreak as an opportunity to stir up the kind of xenophobia that has served them well.
  5. international affairs
    This Is a Particularly Bad Time for U.S.-Iran Tensions to FlareAs the Trump administration ramps up coronavirus xenophobia, it simultaneously pursues a muddled Middle East strategy.
  6. coronavirus
    Coronavirus and Autocracy: An Extremely Dangerous MixWhen citizens don’t trust their rulers and vice versa, an already frightening situation can get much worse.
  7. politics
    The Scariest Part of Richard Grenell’s AppointmentAmerica’s new acting director of National Intelligence will serve the president, not the country.
  8. world view
    Trump’s Middle East Plan Is About Exerting Power, Not Achieving PeaceThe conflict is now shaped by the worldview of Trump and his allies — and a two-state solution may be off the table for good.
  9. world view
    The Strategy Behind Trump’s Incoherent Iran AddressTrump’s remarks were about sweet-talking his base and reclaiming the narrative — even if it meant confusing and angering our allies.
  10. qasem soleimani
    Could Iran Punish Israel for an American Assassination?Intelligencer staffers discuss the latest developments in the aftermath of Qasem Soleimani’s death.
  13. world view
    The ‘Painful Consequences’ of Trump’s Soleimani Decision Are Already HereFrom the gobsmacking confusion over the U.S. presence in Iraq to reports of discrimination at the border, we don’t have to wait for Iran’s response.
  14. world view
    What Comes Next After the Killing of Qasem SoleimaniThe U.S. strike on the Iranian general ends any hope of containing U.S.-Iran hostilities without significant violence, chaos, and losses of life.
  15. world view
    At U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Trump’s Middle East Rhetoric Meets RealityThe attack underscores that Trump’s efforts to hobble Iran and conclude our “endless wars” won’t come to fruition anytime soon.
  16. world view
    Kim Jong-un Is Plotting a Not So Happy New YearNorth Korea failed to deliver on its ominous promise of a Christmas “gift” to the U.S., but it’s still preparing to ratchet up tensions in 2020.
  17. trade war
    Trump’s Trade Wins Are a Triumph of the TrivialThe president’s trade-war spectacle has led to more sacrifice than gain.
  18. world view
    Trump’s Israeli Settlement Reversal Is About What’s Good for Him, Not the LawThere’s scant evidence that the U.S. examined “all sides of the legal debate,” but altering the longstanding policy has domestic advantages for Trump.
  19. civil service
    Ambassador Yovanovitch Led by ExampleHer steadfast testimony was civil service of the highest order, but she can’t save our democracy from Trump and his enablers by herself.
  20. democracy
    Revisiting the Promise of a World Without the Berlin WallEuropeans and Americans need to reckon with how we haven’t lived up to the spirit and ideals of November 1989.
  21. world view
    Trump’s al-Baghdadi Triumphalism Doesn’t Match RealityTaking out the world’s most wanted terrorist is clearly a win for the U.S. — but the broader challenges posed by ISIS are no closer to being resolved.
  22. syria
    What Impulsive Foreign-Policy Move Might Trump Make Next?Intelligencer staffers discuss the implications of President Trump’s Syria debacle.
  25. world view
    Trump Is Letting Turkey Bully the United StatesThe U.S. delegation got to announce a Syria cease-fire, but only after Ankara gave them a taste of the humiliation that weak nations endure regularly.
  26. world view
    Trump’s Syria Withdrawal Is a Mistake We’re Doomed to RepeatMilitary and GOP leaders rebuked Trump over December’s abrupt Syria shift, but didn’t go far enough. Their latest complaints won’t rein him in either.
  27. world view
    Trump’s Low-Energy U.N. Speech Said More Than He RealizedIt’s hard to tell if Trump or his audience was more disinterested, but the text contained lessons about his team’s disturbing tactics and goals.
  28. world view
    Robert O’Brien Shows Republicans Still Put Trump Ahead of Personal CredibilityGOP establishment mainstays like Robert O’Brien lined up to be national security adviser, even after Trump ignored and humiliated John Bolton.
  29. iran
    Will the U.S. Strike Iran Over the Saudi Oil Attacks?Intelligencer staffers discuss another moment of major tension in the Middle East.
  30. world view
    Saudi Oil Attack Prompts More Incoherence From Trump AdministrationThe strikes disabled critical Saudi oil infrastructure and revealed how unprepared the Trump administration is to handle such a crisis.
  31. world view
    Trump Tells the World He’s Desperate to Play DealmakerTrump is ready to move past his Taliban summit debacle, but it offered strategic lessons adversaries like Iran and North Korea won’t soon forget.
  32. world view
    John Bolton Goes Down With the ShipBolton was happy to help Trump subvert the national security decision-making process – then the chaos did him in, too.
  33. foreign policy
    Trump’s Contradictions Dominate and Disrupt Another G-7The president and his staff continue to confound most of America’s allies even at a time when the trade-warring Trump could use some solidarity.
  34. world view
    Trump’s Selfish Foreign Policy Doesn’t Really Put America FirstTrump acts like rising tensions in Asia aren’t of interest to Americans. When a crisis comes and we don’t have the tools to respond, they will be.
  37. world view
    Trump May Leave Office in 2021, But His Foreign Policy Mess Will LingerIt’s unwise to assume — as some 2020 contenders seem to — that the next president can just step back into Washington’s global role pre-Trump.
  38. foreign interests
    What Does Iran Think of Donald Trump?It sure seems like he wants to avoid military conflict. But he might not be up to the task of convincing the Iranians of that.
  39. intelligencer chats
    How Worried Should We Be About Escalation With Iran?Intelligencer staffers discuss whether tit-for-tat provocations between the two countries will lead to something much scarier.
  40. world view
    Trump’s Iran Accusations Put U.S. Credibility on the LinePerhaps Iran really did attack two oil tankers. But experts are skeptical, and if the administration is crying wolf there could be dire consequences.
  41. world view
    Trump Has Undone the Alliance That Made D-Day a SuccessFor decades, the U.S. and Europe were tightly bound by shared values and sacrifice. Trump’s visit normalized a reality that is none of those things.
  42. world view
    Will Donald Trump Accidentally Start a War?When no one can tell which advisers are really in charge or what D.C. will do next, it makes an inadvertent slide into conflict much more likely.
  43. world view
    Trump Is Now Our Best Bet for Avoiding WarForeign policy isn’t supposed to work like this, but for now we should just hope the reports that Trump’s grown wary of warmongering are true.
  44. world view
    Are the U.S. and Iran Heading for War?An Intelligencer chat about the increasingly alarming possibility.
  45. world view
    Trump’s Iran-Deal Exit Delivered More Risk, No RewardOne year later, there are no signs that Trump’s strategy is working, and both sides are making increasingly dramatic moves that raise fears of war.
  46. world view
    Despite Netanyahu’s Apparent Win, Israel Faces Even More UncertaintyThe prime minister is still awaiting indictment, and his campaign promises, backed by Trump, may bring new instability to the region.
  49. world view
    If NATO Is Going to Survive Trump, and Other Threats, It Must AdaptNATO leaders may be tempted to defend its very successful past, but as they celebrate the alliance’s 70th year, they need to focus on the future.
  50. world view
    Hiding the Full Mueller Report Is Another Gift to Vladimir PutinCollusion aside, what Mueller learned about Russian tradecraft should be spread as broadly as possible to counter Putin’s election meddling worldwide.
  51. world view
    Trump Won’t Let U.S. Officials Come Between Him and Kim Jong-unTrump countered, and confused, his own administration by calling off new North Korea sanctions. If only our actual allies were treated so well.
  52. world view
    Trump Was Right to Walk Away From North Korea, But Kim Won’t Be IgnoredTrump leaves Hanoi with no deal, but some cards left in his hand — though playing them just got much harder.
  53. world view
    Trump Lowered North Korea Summit Expectations — and Still Might Not DeliverTrump dropped his unrealistic promises of fast denuclearization, and could make real progress in Hanoi. The question is whether he can follow through.
  54. world view
    Trump Gathers Iran Foes Around His Latest Dumpster FireAfter teasing Jared Kushner’s Middle East peace plan, in Warsaw Trump officials displayed only disdain for old allies and eagerness for Iran conflict.
  55. world view
    Why Doesn’t Trump’s Talk of U.S. Moral Duty Apply to North Korea?In his SOTU, Trump invoked the Holocaust to signal our moral duty to oppose Iran and Venezuela — and made overtures to North Korea’s cruel regime.
  56. world view
    Trump Just Scrapped a Nuclear Treaty That Kept Us Safe for DecadesExiting the INF Treaty undermines long-settled thinking on arms control. Now 2020 could see the biggest debate on U.S. nuclear policy in a generation.
  57. world view
    U.S.-Taliban May Have Breakthrough Deal — Now All Afghans Must Be HeardU.S. and Taliban officials may have a deal, but there won’t be lasting peace if women, minorities, and everyday Afghans are excluded from the process.
  58. world view
    Don’t Just Argue Over Trump’s Maduro Stance, Fight to Help VenezuelansAmericans should be focused on promoting stability and helping refugees — while keeping U.S. opportunists from making the crisis even worse.
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