A new intelligence assessment of the Al Qaeda threat was prepared after a drone strike killed Ayman al-Zawahri, the group’s leader. But some outside counterterrorism specialists said it was overly optimistic.
Tag Archives: United States International Relations
Erdogan and Putin: Complicated Relations With Mutual Benefits
Turkey needs Russian cash, gas and business as Erdogan looks to a dicey election and a new incursion in Syria, while Moscow needs friends to try to evade Western sanctions.
China Vows More Drills, but Taiwan Is Undeterred
China’s drills have hardened Taiwan’s understated approach to navigating a big-power rivalry over its political future.
Iran Weighing ‘Final’ E.U. Offer on Nuclear Deal
Tehran has dropped a key demand that stalled the talks for months, but it now has a new one.
U.S. Signs Measure Giving Approval to Sweden and Finland’s Bid to Join NATO
The expansion of NATO has received overwhelming support among Democrats and Republicans in a deeply divided Washington.
In China, Xi Risks Overconfidence That Could Stoke Taiwan Tensions
State propaganda about China’s rise is stoking extreme nationalism. That could blind China to its problems, and could lead to conflict — perhaps over Taiwan.
She’s at Brown. Her Heart’s Still in Kabul.
In their first year at U.S. universities, women who escaped the Taliban are struggling to adjust — and to reckon with what they left behind.
Chinese No Longer Recognize the America They Once Admired
The U.S. should stop branding China as a threat and look in the mirror.
In a Summer of Feints, Russia and Ukraine Try to Predict Enemy’s Next Move
Ukraine says that announcing a planned offensive on the southern front has paid off in the eastern Donbas region, as both sides deploy forces based on guessing each other’s next moves.
China’s Military Drills and Other Tensions With Taiwan, Explained
China’s military announced new exercises near Taiwan, a day after concluding four days of drills that simulated a blockade of the island.
After Rockets Strike Near Nuclear Plant, Ukraine and Russia Trade Blame
Moscow accused Ukraine of striking near spent-fuel storage at the Zaporizhzhia power plant, while Ukrainian intelligence said it was a move by Russia to destroy infrastructure.
Guadalcanal Anniversary Marked by a Kennedy
At a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of a crucial battle in the Pacific, two daughters of men who served there reflected on the lessons of war.
After China’s Military Spectacle, Options Narrow for Winning Over Taiwan
The exercises were designed to deter Taiwan from moving further away from Beijing, but they also indicated how few policy carrots China has.
Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan Shows the Need for a Clear U.S. Policy on China
Tensions over Taiwan underscore the need for the United States to engage more deeply with China on more than just trade.
In the Philippines, Blinken Vows to Strengthen Military Ties
Against a backdrop of rising regional tensions with China, the U.S. secretary of state reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to defending Manila.
Chinese Military Drills Near Taiwan Continue
The live-fire military drills, which appear to be simulating an attack on the main island, have edged closer than ever before to territory Taiwan considers its own.
U.S. and Russia Ready to Negotiate Griner’s Release
The countries’ top envoys made separate announcements after a meeting where they sat close together — without talking.
Brittney Griner’s Sentence Renews Pressure on President Biden
The basketball star’s supporters are pressing for action. But critics of any possible deal are already fuming.
U.S. Seeks to Reassure Asian Allies as China’s Military Grows Bolder
The Biden administration says its commitment to the region has only deepened, but critics say the tensions over Taiwan show that Washington needs stronger military and economic strategies.
Brittney Griner’s Tearful WNBA Teammates Play On After Her Conviction
Brittney Griner, the Phoenix Mercury star, was convicted on drug charges in Russia. Hours later, her teammates had a game. “Nobody even wanted to play today,” one said.
Brittney Griner’s Guilty Verdict Strengthens Supporters’ Resolve
The W.N.B.A. star was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony, but her supporters insist they will do “whatever we can to get her home.”
Hungary Leader Viktor Orban Addresses CPAC Dallas
The Hungarian prime minister, whose anti-immigrant rhetoric and attacks on democratic norms have been widely rebuked, spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas.
Russian Court Sentences Griner to 9 Years, Raising Pressure on Biden
Amid the hostility over the war in Ukraine, a court imposed nearly the maximum possible sentence on the American basketball star Brittney Griner, intensifying calls to win her release.
With 5 Missiles, China Sends Stark Signal to Japan and U.S. on Taiwan
By firing into Japanese waters, Beijing is warning that both countries will become targets if they should come to the aid of Taiwan in any conflict.
As China Plans Drills Circling Taiwan, U.S. Officials Fear a Squeeze Play
Administration officials say they are hoping China’s military exercises last only a few days, but they are discussing their options if the movements expand into something more.
Welcomed by Taiwan, Pelosi Leaves Rising Tensions With China in Her Wake
In a high-stakes visit to Taiwan, Ms. Pelosi offered assurances of American support. Taiwan now faces the prospect of Chinese military drills that could violate what it says are its territorial waters.
Congress Is Giving Billions to the Chip Industry. Strings Are Attached.
Industrial policy is back in Washington, as a vast semiconductor and science bill gives the government new sway over a strategic industry.
Giuliani Is Unlikely to Face Criminal Charges in Lobbying Inquiry
A federal investigation into Donald Trump’s former lawyer over his work in Ukraine during the 2020 campaign is winding down with no indictment expected.
American Democracy Is Not the Beacon It Once Was for Africa’s Elite
At a garden party I attended in a wealthy Nairobi suburb, the guests talked global politics and the upcoming presidential election in Kenya.
Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit Risks Undermining U.S. Efforts With Asian Allies
The Biden administration has built an economic and diplomatic strategy in Asia to counter China, assuring friendly countries that the U.S. is in the region for the long haul.
In Visiting Taiwan, Pelosi Capped Three Decades of Challenging China
From her first days in Congress, the future speaker was willing to confront China’s leaders. As she looked toward her legacy, the California Democrat was not about to back down this time.
The Last Thing We Needed Was Pelosi Backing Down From a Bully
Bullies don’t usually read concessions as anything but signs of weakness.
The Effect of Russian Embargoes on the War in Ukraine
Russia’s peculiar economic war with the West.
A New Axis?
With tensions rising in Taiwan, we look at the shared interests of China, Russia and Iran.
Ahead of Pelosi’s Trip, Defiance in Taiwan
Public nonchalance about the tensions over Nancy Pelosi belies a political reality: Many are tired of China’s threats and crave American support.
The Killing of bin Laden’s Successor
Al Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, has been killed by a U.S. drone strike. Who was he and what impact will his death have?
Killed at 71, Ayman al-Zawahri Led a Life of Secrecy and Violence
A radicalized Egyptian physician, he was regarded as the intellectual spine of Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organization, and ran it after Bin Laden was killed in 2011.
U.S. Drone Strike Said to Have Killed Ayman al-Zawahri, Top Qaeda Leader
The strike, carried out over the weekend, was the first attack since American forces left Afghanistan last year.
U.S. Warns China Not to Turn Pelosi’s Expected Trip to Taiwan Into a ‘Crisis’
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime China hawk, has not confirmed that she plans to visit Taiwan, but all indications suggest that she will make a stop on the self-governing island without prior announcement.
Nancy Pelosi Headed to Singapore, Silent on Taiwan
Speculation about a stop in Taiwan, where she would be the highest-ranking U.S. visitor in decades, has jangled nerves in both Beijing and Washington.
Blinken and Lavrov Discuss Griner in Their First Call of the War
Ukraine said it was ready for Black Sea grain shipments to resume, while the top Russian and American diplomats talked about a prisoner swap involving the basketball star Brittney Griner.
Blinken Resists Push to Label Russia a Terrorist State
The Biden administration is wary of making the designation despite strong calls from Congress and pleas from Ukraine.
Lavrov To Propose a Time to Discuss Possible Prisoner Swap for Brittney Griner
Sergey Lavrov said he would listen to what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had to say about a proposal for the release of Brittney Griner and another American.
Why Pelosi’s Proposed Taiwan Visit Is Raising U.S.-China Tensions
Beijing has issued strongly worded warnings implying that China might use military force if Nancy Pelosi moves forward with a planned trip to Taiwan.
Russia Is Making Heaps of Money From Oil, but There Is a Way to Stop That
Nations seeking to help Ukraine should aim at reducing Russia’s profits from oil, not how much it exports.
As Congress Debated Landmark China Bill, Beijing Surged Ahead
Experts are still assessing how China apparently leapfrogged ahead in its effort to manufacture a semiconductor that rivals those made in Taiwan, which supplies both China and the West.
Biden and Xi Conduct Marathon Call During Time of Rising Tensions
White House officials characterized the call, which lasted for two hours and 17 minutes, as a relationship-tending mission.
Surprise Deal Would Be Most Ambitious Climate Action Undertaken by U.S.
The announcement Wednesday of an agreement in the Senate almost instantly reset the role of the United States in the global effort to fight climate change.
U.S. Offers to Swap Arms Dealer for Griner, Whelan
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said that Washington had offered to trade Viktor Bout and that he expected to raise it soon directly with Russia’s foreign minister.
China’s Domestic Troubles Will Hang Over Biden-Xi Call
Some American officials suspect that what is really driving China’s president to lash out recently is a desire to divert attention from his economic and pandemic problems at home.