James Dobbins

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North Korean soldiers carrying packs marked with the nuclear symbol look toward Kim Jong-un during a 2013 military parade in Pyongyang. Credit Wong Maye-E/Associated Press

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Sixty-four years ago the Korean War, which raged from 1950 to 1953 and killed more than 36,000 American soldiers, was suspended with a cease-fire agreement. A peace treaty, however, was never signed. The war never came to a formal end.

North Korean leaders have long attached importance to formally ending the war. Over the years they have repeatedly raised the prospect of a peace treaty to resolve the many issues that the 1953 armistice left unaddressed, most notably agreement on the permanent division of the Korean Peninsula.

At various times the North Koreans have proposed negotiating a treaty with the United States, at other times with South Korea.…  Seguir leyendo »

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America’s relationship with Iran poses a classic geopolitical dilemma. Iran is an important regional power that pursues adversarial policies with its neighbors and represses its people at home. Yet the United States can only address key issues affecting U.S. interests if it engages Tehran wherever possible. As it did vis-à-vis the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the United States needs to pursue policies designed to preclude regional hegemony and to create a balance of power in the region, while also expressing support for human rights and engaging Iran diplomatically.

If the chaos in the Middle East is to be calmed, the United States will have to work not just with traditional partners but also with competitors.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoOriente Próximo

Iran’s threats to close the Straits of Hormuz in response to the latest American-led sanctions may be empty posturing. Still, Iran’s slow march toward a nuclear weapons capability has dramatically increased tensions between Washington and Tehran. The Obama administration has not taken the option of a military strike off the table, and one must assume that the Iranians have not done so either.

In these circumstances, it is important to realistically judge the nature and extent of the Iranian threat. For all its bluster, the Iranian regime is more vulnerable than at any time in its 32-year history. Internally, Iran is constrained by deep political divisions, civil strife and a woeful economy.…  Seguir leyendo »

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When the immediate crisis passes, how can we ensure that Haiti becomes a functioning nation? Eight experts give their prescriptions.

Concrete Solutions
By John McAslan
An internationally financed rebuilding effort should take a longer view of Haiti’s future, supporting a gradual, well-thought-out physical transformation.

Squatters’ Rights
By Robert Neuwirth
With hundreds of thousands of Haitians turned into refugees in their own hometown, a few sensible squatter principles may help the devastated residents.

Skip the Graft
By James Dobbins
Haiti’s institutions need to be rebuilt as well as its buildings, with fundamental reform of inefficient and corrupt systems.

Learn From Postwar Tokyo
By Matias Echanove and Rahul Srivastava
As we consider how to rebuild Port-au-Prince, we can find an alternative to the usual top-down redevelopment model in postwar Tokyo.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoOriente Próximo

President Obama has been clear that the United States should talk to Iran. The Iranian regime has indicated on a number of occasions that it was ready to talk to Washington, though it has often accompanied its offers with disobliging statements or limiting conditions. The Obama team is reportedly debating whether it should wait until after the Iranian presidential election in June to launch such a dialogue, both to avoid boosting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's candidacy and in the hope that by waiting it might end up dealing with Mohammad Khatami, the more moderate former president who recently announced that he would seek office again.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoOriente Próximo

After an eight-week hiatus, the American and Iranian ambassadors in Baghdad are scheduled to meet soon to discuss Iraq. Some accounts portray these encounters as a departure from decades of noncommunication. In fact, American and Iranian officials have met many times over the years.

Perhaps the most constructive period of U.S.-Iranian diplomacy since the fall of the shah of Iran took place in the months after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Many believe that in the wake of Sept. 11, the United States formed an international coalition and toppled the Taliban. It would be more accurate to say that the United States joined a coalition that had been battling the Taliban for nearly a decade.…  Seguir leyendo »