Japan and the TPP: Opportunity Knocks
During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly slammed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as a “bad deal” that would harm U.S. workers and export jobs to […] More
United States
Trump's Rift with CIA Could Damage Allies' Confidence in U.S.
The statement by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump dismissing the CIA’s findings that Russia had interfered in the recent election has implications for the Agency, the […] More
Playing the Taiwan Card
On November 25th, six Chinese aircraft—two nuclear-capable H-6K bombers, two Su-30 fighters, and two surveillance planes—participated in an exercise near Taiwan’s airspace. Four of the […] More
EU Looking Forward to 2017
The European Union remains strong, despite the British vote to leave the organization and Sunday’s Italian vote to reject constitutional changes backed by Prime Minister […] More
Presidents vs. The Kremlin
Naiveté is never a good way to approach foreign policy challenges. However, it seems that every new Presidential Administration has a tendency to place hope […] More
The U.S.-Japan Alliance: A Safe Harbor
On Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, alongside U.S. President Barack Obama, made a landmark visit to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His appearance marked the first […] More
Rebalancing the U.S.-Japan Relationship Under Trump
As President-elect prepares to take office, the new administration has an opportunity to adjust U.S. foreign policy direction with key allies. After a recent meeting […] More
Abe and Trump: Shared Interests, Uncertain Ground
The uncertainty surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s foreign policy platform caused a sense of unease in Japan over the future of cooperation with the U.S. on […] More
UK and Japan Ambassadors Affirm American Alliance
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made several foreign policy statements which if, as President-elect, were to be put into practice, would undercut several traditional […] More
Mattis as Defense Secretary: Wartime Experience for a Country at War
Late Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would appoint retired Marine General James Mattis – nicknamed “Mad Dog” – as Secretary of Defense. “They […] More
A Challenging Four Years for the Media
Don’t be fooled that there is a new Donald Trump now that he is president-elect. As I have written before, this Trump presidency is going […] More
Security Dynamics Amidst Africa's Armed Conflicts
There has been a downward trend in large-scale warfare on the African continent since the number of wars peaked in the mid 1990s. However, new […] More
The U.S. Military: Ready or Not?
In a September 7th speech, then-candidate Donald Trump described his vision for the future of the American military. “As soon as I take office, I […] More
U.S. Army: Regaining Lost Ground
By some analyses, the U.S. Army has fared the worst in terms of diminished readiness. Fifteen years of operations in the Middle East and budget […] More
Seeing the World As It Is: The Presidential Transition Begins
Almost a week after the election of Donald Trump, his transition team is at work, choosing the leaders who will head the many government agencies […] More
Israeli Optimism About a Trump Presidency
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refers to himself as “a big fan of Israel.” He supports moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a […] More
Border Security: Much More than Illegal Immigration
Border security has been one of the most heavily debated topics in the U.S. presidential race, with most of the discussion focusing on illegal immigration. […] More
Trump Security Policy: Not a Lot to Draw On
Donald Trump isn’t one to make detailed speeches or to offer commentary at think tanks or to post policy prescriptions. And he doesn’t have a […] More