News Abroad

Lifting the Liberal Veil on US Support for Israel

by Paul Croce

Support for Israeli political and military actions have been doing the work of American conservative ideologies, but in liberal disguise.

Want to See How Afghanistan Will Turn Out After the U.S. Withdrawal? Look to Latin America

by Alan McPherson

U.S. occupation of Latin American countries after World War I culminated in repressive dictatorships that lasted decades.

Russia's Kosovo-Crimea Analogy is Ridiculous

by Christopher P. Whitaker

Russia justifies its annexation of Crimea by pointing to NATO intervention in Kosovo. But the Kosovo War came after years of international buildup, and Kosovo wasn't annexed by another country immediately afterward.

Could Japan Ever Become a Nuclear Weapons State?

by John W. Dower

Japanese politicians have made it clear that they themselves do not have a "nuclear allergy." But as long as Japan remains under the U.S., there is little incentive to nuclearize.

Enough With the Hitler Analogies

by Christian Karner

Our understanding of World War II has been deeply enriched by a memory boom of books and research. The same cannot be said by the Hitler analogy boom.

Putin Didn't Seize Crimea Because Obama is "Weak"

by Sheldon M. Stern

Putin seized Crimea because of Russia's national interests -- and pundits are making fools of themselves when they argue otherwise.

Europe's Post-Cold War Order is Under Threat ... and Not Just from Russia

by Dan Stone

The specter of fascist-tinged parties in on the rise from Kiev to Athens to Paris.

We Should Keep Out of Ukraine

by William R. Polk

Russia has a historic and strategic interest in Ukraine, and short of nuclear war there's nothing the United States can do to keep them out.

Crimea and the Dark Side of Self-Determination

by Walter G. Moss

Too often self-determination is a mere excuse for territorial acquisition. Just ask Hitler. Or Milosevic.

Why 1938 Really IS the Right Analogy for Ukraine Right Now

by Tom Clifford

As Washington, London, and Berlin look on, the latest strongman devours his neighbors.

A Russo-Iranian Bloc against the United States?

by Juan Cole

Putin and Rouhani are rapidly uniting behind an anti-American banner.

Why the West Can’t Save Ukraine

by Michael H. Creswell

In this entire affair, there has been just one big surprise: that the U.S. and West Europe failed to see the obvious.

The Double Standards of Crimean Cold-War Diplomacy

by Cynthia V. Hooper

Though Russia's case against the new Ukrainian government is self-serving and full of holes, the toppling of Yanukovych was not a simple story of democracy vs. tyranny.

America's Dien Bien Phu Syndrome

by John Prados

America should have learned its lesson in 1954: firepower is not enough to win wars.

How the Strict Traditional Laws of Islam Affect the Lives of Modern Muslims

by Daniel Pipes

The religion's formal requirements are the narrow base for a far wider structure of patterns that extend the formal rules of Islam.

Will "Noah" Help Egypt Separate Church and State?

by Juan Cole

The new Russell Crowe vehicle faces bans across the Middle East and North Africa. Here's why it's an important litmus test for religious freedom in the region.

Why the U.S. Has So Many Bases on Okinawa

by John W. Dower

The establishment of a U.S. military fiefdom on Okinawa was part of the Cold War practice of dividing nations.

Forget 1991 or World War II: The Real Historical Parallel to the Ukraine Crisis is Poland's 1863 Revolt Against the Tsar

by Walter G. Moss

In 1863 as well as as in 2014, the most important question facing the West is whether anything can deter use of Russian military force.

Ukraine's Toxic History of Fascism and Ethnic Cleansing

by Robert Thurston

Far too many Ukrainians today have fond memories of Nazi-collaborating nationalists in World War II.

The Truth About the Ukraine Crisis is That History Really Doesn't Matter That Much

by David Austin Walsh

Pre-1991 history, anyway. Padraic Kenney, an Eastern European historian at Indiana University, explains.