The failures of success
By Fareed Zakaria Thursday, May 12, 2016 Iraq is collapsing as a country. This week’s bombings in Baghdad, which killed more than 90 people, are just further reminders that the place remains deeply unstable and violent. There is a lesson to be drawn from this, one that many powerful people in Washington are still resisting. … Continue reading
In Syria, whose side is the United States on?
By Fareed Zakaria Thursday, October 1, 2015 Vladimir Putin has been able to act forcefully in Syria not because he’s bolder or more decisive than Barack Obama but because he has a clearer strategy. Putin has an ally, the Assad government. He has enemies, the opponents of the government. He supports his ally and fights those enemies. … Continue reading
Obama needs to dial back his Syria strategy
By Fareed Zakaria From the start, President Obama’s Syria policy has foundered because of a gap between words and deeds. And he’s done it again. Having declared that the aim of U.S. policy is to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the Islamic State, Obama now finds himself pressured to escalate military action in Syria. This is … Continue reading
The fight against the Islamic State must include Iran
By Fareed Zakaria If President Obama truly wants to degrade and destroy the Islamic State, he must find a way to collaborate with Iran — the one great power in the Middle East with which the United States is still at odds. Engagement with Iran — while hard and complicated — would be a strategic … Continue reading
Who lost Iraq? The Iraqis did, with an assist from George W. Bush
By Fareed Zakaria/The Washington Post It is becoming increasingly likely that Iraq has reached a turning point. The forces hostile to the government have grown stronger, better equipped and more organized. And having now secured arms, ammunition and hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from their takeover of Mosul — Iraq’s second-largest city — … Continue reading
The perils of leaning forward
By Fareed Zakaria/The Washington Post The controversy over Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has largely obscured what should have been an important initiative by the Obama administration. The president’s trip to Poland was one more step in what is going to be the central task of U.S. foreign policy over the next decade: deterring a great … Continue reading
Obama’s leadership is right for today
By Fareed Zakaria/The Washington Post “Because of his unsure and indecisive leadership in the field of foreign policy, questions are being raised on all sides,” the writer declared, adding that the administration was “plagued by a Hamlet-like psychosis which seems to paralyze it every time decisive action is required.” Is the writer one of the … Continue reading
U.S. policy on India, and Modi, needs to change
By Fareed Zakaria/The Washington Post Barack Obama’s pivot to Asia has been widely praised. But many critics wish that he would infuse the policy with greater substance and energy. In fact, the administration has the opportunity to fill in one of the great missing pieces of that policy — a strategic relationship with the continent’s … Continue reading
Obama needs to lead with feeling
By Fareed Zakaria/The Washington Post In foreign policy, there is one quick way into the history books: Make a major mistake. Lyndon Johnson and George W. Bush can be sure that, no matter what else is said of them, their decisions leading to military intervention and war will be long discussed. The second path — … Continue reading
America should work to bring Asia into the club
By Fareed Zakaria/The Washington Post Foreign policy commands attention when it is crisis management. A street revolt breaks out in Egypt or Libya or Ukraine, and everyone asks how the president of the United States should respond. This is an important element of America’s role in the world, but it is essentially reactive and tactical. … Continue reading
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