Michael Doran

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Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani of Iran’s Qods Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, in 2016. Credit Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader, via Associated Press

More than any other American military operation since the invasion of Iraq, the assassination yesterday of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the head of Iran’s Qods Force of its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, is a seismic event. The killings of Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leaders of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, were certainly meaningful, but they were also largely symbolic, because their organizations had been mostly destroyed. Taking out the architect of the Islamic Republic’s decades-long active campaign of violence against the United States and its allies, especially Israel, represents a tectonic shift in Middle Eastern politics.

To see just how significant Mr.…  Seguir leyendo »

El 2 de abril, el presidente Obama apareció en los jardines de la Casa Blanca para anunciar que EE UU y sus socios en la negociación habían “alcanzado un histórico entendimiento con Irán”. Pero no es verdad: no hay ningún acuerdo. El presidente está vendiendo algo que no existe, al menos por ahora.

Esta última ronda de negociaciones no ha culminado en ningún texto. Varios participantes hicieron declaraciones sobre “el acuerdo”, y tanto el Gobierno estadounidense como el iraní hicieron públicos “datos” que lo detallaban. Pero ninguno de los documentos dice nada sobre los aspectos más controvertidos. Peor aún, se contradicen mutuamente en varias disposiciones fundamentales.…  Seguir leyendo »

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, June 14, 2014. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

The growing disaster in Iraq has triggered anguished debate over two fundamental questions: What went wrong? And what do we do about it?

Surprisingly, many people who disagree vehemently about the former question (in particular, whether President George W. Bush or President Obama is more to blame) agree on the latter. Thus Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who has consistently attacked the Obama administration for its foreign policy, suggests that the United States should work with Iran to counter the rapid advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). That idea was also advanced by Secretary of State John F.…  Seguir leyendo »

A great deal of diplomatic attention over the next few months will be focused on whether the temporary nuclear deal with Iran can be transformed into a full-blown accord. President Obama has staked the success of his foreign policy on this bold gamble. But discussion about the nuclear deal has diverted attention from an even riskier bet that Obama has placed: the idea that Iran can become a cooperative partner in regional security.

Although they won’t say so publicly, Mr. Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry surely dream of a “Nixon to China” masterstroke. They are quietly pursuing a strategic realignment that, they believe, will end decades of semi-open warfare between Iran and the United States and their respective allies.…  Seguir leyendo »

Whether you agree or disagree with President Obama, there is no doubt that he has formulated a coherent approach to the use of American power. The Obama Doctrine involves getting into a conflict zone and getting out fast without ground wars or extended military occupations. This approach proved its effectiveness in Libya last year.

But the president is not applying his own doctrine where it would benefit the United States the most — in Syria. One can certainly sympathize with his predicament. Syria is a mess, and it is tempting to stay out, especially in an election year. Yet inaction carries its own risks.…  Seguir leyendo »