Ted Galen Carpenter

Ted Galen Carpenter, Senior Fellow at the Randolph Bourne Institute, is the author of 13 books and more than 1,100 articles on international affairs. Dr. Carpenter held various senior policy positions during a 37-year career at the Cato institute. His latest book is Unreliable Watchdog: The News Media and U.S. Foreign Policy (2022).

Just Whose Coast Is the Coast Guard Guarding?

Most Americans likely assume that the mission of the U.S. Coast Guard is to protect the coasts of the United State from maritime threats. Increasingly, though, that is no longer true, as Coast Guard vessels and personnel now routinely operate thousands of miles from the US homeland. Moreover, they frequently are not engaged in "defensive" … Continue reading “Just Whose Coast Is the Coast Guard Guarding?”

Vendetta: How the Obama Administration Harassed Sharyl Attkisson for Her Reporting on Operation Fast and Furious

U.S. presidents never have been fond of journalists who criticize their policies – especially if that negative coverage exposes blunders or criminal conduct. White House occupants devote considerable effort to uncovering the identity of sources leaking such information to enterprising reporters. The obsessive campaigns that the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have waged to demonize, … Continue reading “Vendetta: How the Obama Administration Harassed Sharyl Attkisson for Her Reporting on Operation Fast and Furious”

Washington’s Lonely Crusade To Defend Taiwan

Some alarming trends are developing in East Asia that could lead to a military collision between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan is the principal flashpoint, and Washington may find itself virtually alone in waging a war to defend the island. Beijing’s military pressure on Taiwan is mounting steadily, as … Continue reading “Washington’s Lonely Crusade To Defend Taiwan”

The US Lacks Options if Russia Calls Washington’s Ukraine Bluff

Growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine are producing an surge of bluster from the Biden administration, as well as from the hawkish denizens of Washington’s think tanks. The administration keeps assuring Ukraine’s government that the United States and NATO have Kiev’s back in its confrontation with Russian-supported separatists in the eastern Donbas region as well … Continue reading “The US Lacks Options if Russia Calls Washington’s Ukraine Bluff”

Could the Philippines Drag the US Into War with China?

Tensions are rising again between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over rival claims to small islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea. The latest incident began in late March when more than 200 Chinese "fishing vessels" arrived at Whitsun Reef, which Manila calls Juan Felipe Reef – a … Continue reading “Could the Philippines Drag the US Into War with China?”

Washington Has Backed Islamist War Criminals in Syria

When large-scale demonstrations broke out against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in early 2011, Barack Obama’s administration promptly exploited the situation and began to back anti-regime factions. As those demonstrations evolved into an armed insurgency later that year, Washington cooperated closely with outside sponsors of the rebellion, especially Saudi Arabia and Turkey, to channel financial … Continue reading “Washington Has Backed Islamist War Criminals in Syria”

The Continuing Disaster of the U.S. Drug War in Latin America

This originally appeared at the Future of Freedom Foundation. The following is a statement to the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission: Charting a New Path Forward, Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, December 3, 2020: I wish to express my appreciation to the chairman and members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs … Continue reading “The Continuing Disaster of the U.S. Drug War in Latin America”

Unhappy 18th Anniversary: How an Unholy Pro-War Lobbying Alliance Pushed America Into the Iraq Quagmire in 2003

Eighteen years ago, George W. Bush’s administration took the fateful step of launching a war to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. That conflict set in motion developments that destabilized not only Iraq but other already fragile countries throughout the Greater Middle East. Demonstrating an astonishing inability to learn from its predecessor’s blunder in Iraq, … Continue reading “Unhappy 18th Anniversary: How an Unholy Pro-War Lobbying Alliance Pushed America Into the Iraq Quagmire in 2003”

Capitulation Diplomacy: Washington Keeps Making Unrealistic Demands of Other Countries

The Biden administration seems intent on maintaining an especially counterproductive practice in U.S. foreign policy. For decades, US officials have insisted in making utterly unrealistic demands on other governments in its diplomatic interactions. In such cases, Washington doesn’t really engage in diplomacy at all; instead, it tries to force adversaries to capitulate and tamely accept … Continue reading “Capitulation Diplomacy: Washington Keeps Making Unrealistic Demands of Other Countries”

Stealth Commitment: How the Syrian Kurds Became US ‘Allies’

It’s bad enough when the U.S. government takes on unwise security commitments through the signing of formal treaties as required in the Constitution. The "pactomania" frenzy during the early Cold War, beginning with the decision to join NATO in 1949, led to a host of similar alliances. In the years that followed, Washington concluded so-called … Continue reading “Stealth Commitment: How the Syrian Kurds Became US ‘Allies’”