Dan McAdams

State Department’s New Victoria Nuland… Is Just Like the Old Victoria Nuland!

by Dan McAdams | Nov 4, 2017 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

Yesterday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson swore into office a new Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. Dr. A. Wess Mitchell became the Trump Administration’s top diplomat for Europe, “responsible for diplomatic relations with 50 countries in Europe and Eurasia, and with NATO, the EU and the OSCE.” Readers will recall that the position was most recently held during the Obama Administration by Kagan family neocon, Victoria Nuland, who was key catalyst and cookie provider for the US-backed coup overthrowing the elected government in Ukraine. Victoria Nuland’s...

Say Goodbye to ‘Getting Along With Russia’ – Trump’s NSC Pick McMaster is a Major Hawk

by Dan McAdams | Feb 20, 2017 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

Earlier today, President Trump selected Gen. H.R. McMaster to be his National Security Advisor, replacing the short-lived Gen. Michael Flynn. Those breathing a sigh of relief that the rumored favorite John Bolton didn't get the nod may want to hold that thought -- and their breath. McMaster is not the man to guide President Trump toward better relations with Russia and less US interference in the internal affairs of others. In fact, he believes the opposite. In a speech delivered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies just last May, Gen. McMaster blamed the lack of sufficient...

Pre-Emptive Attack Iran Bill Active in US House

by Dan McAdams | Jan 29, 2017 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

You will often see potentially important pieces of legislation languish in the US House. A bill will remain active, meaning that it can be brought to the Floor at any time. But it flies just under the radar. Other times the language floats around Washington for years until a "crisis" necessitates its activation and passage. As we know well, what eventually became the PATRIOT Act -- one of the single greatest attacks on civil liberties in US history -- started out and spent much of its early life as a sugar-plumb fairy dancing in neocon fantasies. Then came 9/11 and it was dusted off and...

Trump, Putin Speak on Telephone; Vow to Improve Relations

by Dan McAdams | Nov 14, 2016 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

After a rancorous presidential campaign in which the Hillary Clinton team actually accused President-elect Donald Trump of being a Russian agent, a new tone is being set by the next US president. Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone this afternoon with the incoming Republican and both men agreed to work toward "constructive cooperation" between the US and Russia. According to the Kremlin website, the two agreed to "return to pragmatic, mutually beneficial cooperation, which would address the interests of both countries as well as stability and safety the world over." It would...