Daniel Larison

Reprinted with permission from Responsible Statecraft. In a Sunday interview on MSNBC, President Biden warned the Israeli government that an assault on Rafah would cross a red line, but then immediately undermined that message with contradictory statements. The president stressed that the “defense of Israel is still crucial, so there’s no red lines [where] I’m … Continue reading “On Air, Biden Walks Back His Own Rafah ‘Red Line’ in Real Time”

Reprinted with permission from Responsible Statecraft. The Israeli government is preparing to launch a ground assault on Rafah in southern Gaza as their devastating military campaign enters its fifth month. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was adamant that the assault would happen: “We’re going to do it.” This, after Israel started an aerial bombardment … Continue reading “Biden’s Calls for Israel to Mind the Laws Appear Feeble, and Ignored”

Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The people of Gaza are facing one of the worst man-made famines in recent history. The combined effects of bombing, displacement, and blockade have driven an already vulnerable population into severe, widespread hunger. This is not some accidental byproduct of conflict. Critics like Human Rights … Continue reading “How Did Blinken Avoid the ‘Atrocity Famine’ in Gaza?”

Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The United States should not be part of a post-war stabilization force in Gaza. There are some proposals circulating in Washington for a U.S.-led post-war force, but this would be deeply unpopular at home and politically radioactive in the Middle East. One proposal from Jonathan … Continue reading “Keep US Troops Out of Post-War Gaza”

Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The cutoff of food, water, and fuel imposed on Gaza has created dire conditions for the Palestinians there in just the last six weeks. Soon, they could be starved to death. The trickle of aid that has been allowed in under international pressure is not … Continue reading “The Warfare of Starvation”

Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The president’s Oval Office address on U.S. support for Ukraine and Israel was long on ideological declarations and short on real justifications for his administration’s policies. Repeating nostrums from the height of the unipolar moment, Biden insisted that the U.S. must support both ongoing wars … Continue reading “Biden’s American Bedtime Story Falls Flat”

Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Hawkish critics of the Biden administration have been constantly agitating for escalation over Ukraine for the last year and a half. Whatever Biden has done in support of Ukraine, hawks complain that he has been too slow and too stinting in what the U.S. provides, … Continue reading “Hawks Want Biden To Take the Fight With Russia Global”

Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Today, the United States finds itself on a crash course toward escalation with China. Washington often denies that it seeks to contain Beijing, but actions have spoken louder than words. Through export controls, increased military spending, and expanded base access, the US aims to weaken … Continue reading “‘Mr. X’ Would Not Approve of China Containment”

Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft The Biden administration is reportedly planning to pursue a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the end of this year. According to Axios, President Biden will seek to work out the deal before the election campaign “consumes” his agenda. While the prospect of … Continue reading “It’s a Bad Idea for Biden to Broker Saudi-Israeli Normalization”

Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft There is a renewed push from some European allies for NATO to create a “road map” for Ukraine to join the alliance. According to The Financial Times, Poland and the Baltic states are pressing the alliance to take steps to move Ukraine closer to the … Continue reading “What To Do With Ukraine and the ‘Loose and Baggy Monster’ That Is NATO”