Robert Dreyfuss

US, Al Qaeda Join Forces in Syria

Robert Dreyfuss on April 12, 2013 - 12:19 PM ET

A Syrian rebel waves the independence flag outside Damascus. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah.)

The civil war in Syria is on the verge of another escalation. President Obama, who last year rejected a joint proposal from Hillary Clinton, Leon Panetta, General Martin Dempsey and David Petraeus to get involved militarily, is under new pressure to intervene. Great Britain and France are toying with ending the arms embargo on military aid to the Syrian rebels, which so far has come mostly from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with US encouragement.

In Multilateral Talks With Iran, Israel Is Increasingly Isolated

Robert Dreyfuss on April 8, 2013 - 12:32 AM ET

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and President Obama, May 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

It’s no surprise that the latest round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 ended with no deal. That much was predicted by all, especially since Iran is getting ready for what promises to be a contentious and controversial presidential election in June. But it’s instructive to contrast the reactions from American officials and Israeli officials to the lack of a breakthrough in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the talks took place on Friday and Saturday.

Iran Talks, Day One: As Expected, No Deal Yet

Robert Dreyfuss on April 5, 2013 - 12:26 PM ET

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits a uranium enrichment facility in 2008. (AP Photo/Iranian President's office, File.)

Both sides seem to want a deal in the talks between Iran and the P5+1 that started today and continue through Saturday in Almaty, Kazakhstan. But they ain’t there yet, and chances are there won’t be a deal this time, or next time, until after the conclusion of what promises to be a contentious election for Iran’s next president on June 14.

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Chuck Hagel's Speech: Nice, But No Cigar

Robert Dreyfuss on April 3, 2013 - 5:38 PM ET

Chuck Hagel delivers his speech at the National Defense University Wednesday. (DoD Photo/Glenn Fawcett.)

As promised, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel delivered his speech on defense policy at National Defense University on Wednesday, and it left a lot to be desired.

Hagel's Test

Robert Dreyfuss on April 2, 2013 - 1:16 PM ET

Chuck Hagel testifies during his confirmation hearing. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite.)

Lots of folks felt that when President Obama picked Chuck Hagel as his secretary of defense, it augured well for the president’s second term. That’s because Hagel, a skeptic of war with Iran, a critic of Israel, and seemingly prepared to make significant cuts in defense spending, would be a breath of fresh air at the Department of Defense.

Hawks Slam Obama Over 'Nuclear Zero'

Robert Dreyfuss on March 31, 2013 - 6:02 PM ET

Barack Obama meets with Dmitry Medvedev in 2009. Some conservatives have accused Obama of being soft on Russia. (AP Photo/Jim Young.)

Not often do you get a near-complete summary of just about everything that President Obama is doing right when it comes to arms control, disarmament, and related topics, but there it is in the pages of the Washington Post. Let’s remember to thank Douglas Feith, Jim Woolsey, and the rest of the hardy band of hawks and neoconservatives who, despite their staggering blunders of 2001-2005, keep on tickin’.

The $6 Trillion Wars

Robert Dreyfuss on March 29, 2013 - 12:43 PM ET

Besides replacing equipment, costs of the war down the road include healthcare for veterans and debt-servicing costs. (AP Photo/Dayton Daily News, Ty Greenless.)

Your children, and your grandchildren, will be paying billions upon billions of dollars for George W. Bush’s criminally misguided wars and for Barack Obama’s ill-advised escalation of the war in Afghanistan, according to a new report.

The CIA's Wars and John Brennan's Dilemma

Robert Dreyfuss on March 27, 2013 - 1:11 PM ET

CIA Director John Brennan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster.)

Settling in at the Central Intelligence Agency, Director John Brennan has some tough choices to make. An immediate one, according to an important article in The Washington Post, will be the fate of the agency’s clandestine services director (i.e., covert operations chief), who is tangled in the CIA’s past role as brutal interrogator and torturer.

United States, China Compete for Russia's Favor

Robert Dreyfuss on March 24, 2013 - 5:59 PM ET

Barack Obama meets with Xi Jinping, who has since become China's new president, in 2012. (White House photo courtesy of Flickr.)

The United States and China are going a-courtin’. And the court’s in Moscow. Though none of the three countries are exactly natural allies, both Washington and Beijing are competing for Moscow’s favors.

General Cartwright Warns of Drone 'Blowback'

Robert Dreyfuss on March 22, 2013 - 12:04 PM ET

“Obama’s General” James Cartwright. (D. Myles Cullen/Courtesy of Wikimedia.)

Retired four-star Marine General James Cartwright, who’s been close to President Obama for years—hawkish critics called him “Obama’s general”—has spoken out forcefully against the unchecked use of drones. According to the general, who’s been a long-time skeptic of the war in Afghanistan, drones cause anger, bitterness and resentment among Muslim populations targeted in the attacks, and he suggested that their use will cause “blowback,” i.e., attacks against the United States.