James Carden

James W. Carden is a contributing writer for foreign affairs at The Nation. He served as a policy adviser to the Special Representative for Intergovernmental Affairs and the Office of Russia Affairs at the US State Department.

Trump Nuclear Deal

Trump Withdraws From the Nuclear Deal With Iran Trump Withdraws From the Nuclear Deal With Iran

His decision puts US national security at risk while handing a long-sought victory to Netanyahu and the Israel lobby.

May 8, 2018 / James Carden

Trump Macron

Macron’s Mission Accomplished? Macron’s Mission Accomplished?

During his state visit, Macron made a bid to keep the Iranian nuclear accord alive while advocating for an increased Western role in Syria.

Apr 26, 2018 / James Carden

Letters Icon

Letters From the May 21, 2018, Issue Letters From the May 21, 2018, Issue

Crossed wires… Painfully prescient
… Misreading, misleading?…

Apr 26, 2018 / Letters / Our Readers, Mark Dowie, Mark Hertsgaard, and James Carden

Syrian soldier US airstrike

Trump Just Launched Another Illegal Attack Against Syria Trump Just Launched Another Illegal Attack Against Syria

Administration hard-liners are putting US national-security interests in grave jeopardy.

Apr 16, 2018 / James Carden

The Washington Monument and US Capitol silhouetted at dawn in Washington, DC.

Democrats Enlist to Serve, Protect, and Defend the Discredited Foreign-Policy Consensus Democrats Enlist to Serve, Protect, and Defend the Discredited Foreign-Policy Consensus

Meet the new Beltway group that seeks to protect and defend the bipartisan foreign-policy orthodoxy.

Apr 2, 2018 / James Carden

John Bolton

Apocalypse Soon? John Bolton Is Set to Replace H.R. McMaster as National-Security Adviser Apocalypse Soon? John Bolton Is Set to Replace H.R. McMaster as National-Security Adviser

Even a cursory look at some of Bolton’s pronouncements on a number of high-profile foreign-policy challenges should be cause for grave concern.

Mar 23, 2018 / James Carden

Why Was a Call for US-Russia Strategic Dialogue Met With Silence?

Why Was a Call for US-Russia Strategic Dialogue Met With Silence? Why Was a Call for US-Russia Strategic Dialogue Met With Silence?

Senators Merkley, Sanders, Feinstein, and Markey are only asking for commonsense cooperation between the two nuclear superpowers.

Mar 14, 2018 / James Carden

Five Star Movement Italy Elections

Should Western Elites Blame Russia for the Populist Surge? Should Western Elites Blame Russia for the Populist Surge?

By now even the most tireless promoters of the idea that Russian “bots” pose some sort of existential threat to Western democracy are no longer so sure.

Mar 8, 2018 / James Carden

Boy watches airstrike Yemen

Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy Invoke the War Powers Act to End US Involvement in Yemen Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy Invoke the War Powers Act to End US Involvement in Yemen

In an unprecedented move, the bipartisan group introduces a joint resolution to halt US involvement in the war on Yemen.

Mar 1, 2018 / James Carden

US military in Qamishli, Syria

Trump’s Syria Policy: Perpetual War Without Debate Trump’s Syria Policy: Perpetual War Without Debate

How is this Constitutional?

Feb 15, 2018 / James Carden

x