Jim Lobe

Independent arms-control critics here say that Wednesday’s successful strike by a missile launched from a US warship in the Pacific Ocean of a dying spy satellite will add to growing fears in Russia and China that Washington is determined to assert military dominance in space. They are deeply skeptical of the Pentagon’s explanation that it … Continue reading “Satellite Shootdown Fuels Fears of New Space Race”

Forty-eight hours after Pakistani voters overwhelmingly repudiated the Bush administration’s "man in Islamabad," President Pervez Musharraf, Washington seemed uncertain about whether the election results marked a setback to U.S. strategic interests or an advance. On the one hand, Washington will have to deal with a new government, some of whose likely leaders have publicly denounced … Continue reading “US Reactions To Pakistan Election Results Mixed”

Despite Tuesday’s historic announcement by President Fidel Castro that he is retiring from public office, U.S. citizens must await the departure of their own sitting president 11 months from now before Washington’s nearly 50-year hostility toward the Caribbean island is likely to be reviewed. Even then, change is not guaranteed. That was the consensus of … Continue reading “US Awaits Its Own Transition to Review Cuba Policy”

"Is the American era over?" That was the big question that launched a lengthy analysis by veteran international affairs reporter James Kitfield in the influential National Journal last May. Significantly, the article – which featured interviews with an all-star cast of former top U.S. policymakers – was titled "The Decline Begins." Nine months later, the … Continue reading “Can the US Brace Its Fall?”

As the man responsible for the health and strength of the U.S. military, Pentagon chief Robert Gates is increasingly finding himself between the devil and the deep blue sea. On the one hand, there’s the devil in his Iraq-obsessed boss, President George W. Bush, who clearly opposes any move that could risk what gains have … Continue reading “SecDef Torn Between Bush and Military Over Iraq”

Western governments, eager to pursue their political or economic interests, too often reward self-proclaimed and flawed "democracies" that clearly abuse the political and civil rights of their citizens, according to the latest edition of Human Rights Watch’s annual "World Report" released here Thursday. The mere holding of elections does not make a state democratic, according … Continue reading “West Gives False ‘Democracies’ a Pass”

With just less than one year left in his presidency, George W. Bush remains as focused as ever on the Middle East and Iraq and appears reluctant to take on any major new foreign policy challenges in the time that he remains in power. That appears to be the consensus of most analysts in the … Continue reading “Bush Offers Another Year of the Same”

Almost exactly five years after it reached its zenith with the invasion of Iraq, the influence of neoconservatives has waned sharply in Washington, as their nemeses, the "realists" in the national security bureaucracy, have increasingly asserted control over US foreign policy. While battered, however, neoconservatives have not yet been forced from the field. And while … Continue reading “Neocons Shaken, But Not Deterred”