Foreign Policy Magazine 06/24/2011 By Josh Rogin Obama administration officials are claiming a partial victory today because the House rejected a measure to defund the Libya war, even after rejecting a separate measure that would have authorized the war. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Secretary of State […]
Author: Michael Shank
Why West Needs Turkey
Arab News 06/16/2011 By Michael Shank America has yet to figure out whether Turkey is friend or foe. With conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan, and tsunamis in Japan and Indonesia, Turkey’s generous military and aid contribution pleases Washington. With Armenia, Israel and Iran, however, Turkey spurns Washington for refusing the […]
Hill Staffers Hang with Mandy Moore in Africa
Politico 06/15/2011 By Caitlin McDevitt Spotted in Cameroon: A few congressional staffers spending some time with Mandy Moore. A delegation from the Hill joined the pop singer, who’s a PSI ambassador, to learn about a nationwide initiative to combat malaria with insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Seated next to Moore (a brunette […]
Why Washington Must Look to Ankara
THE HILL 05/17/11 By Michael Shank America has yet to figure out whether Turkey is friend or foe. With conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan, and tsunamis in Japan and Indonesia, Turkey’s generous military and aid contribution pleases Washington. With Armenia, Israel and Iran, however, Turkey spurns Washington for refusing the […]
Islam’s Nonviolent Tradition
THE NATION 04/27/11 By Michael Shank This article appeared in the May 16, 2011 edition of The Nation. As the world witnesses revolution erupting throughout North Africa and the Middle East and watches autocrats give way to people power, there is increasing fascination in the West with the nonviolent nature […]
Why Washington Must Look to Ankara
THE GUARDIAN 05/15/11 By Michael Shank Turkey’s economic strength and diplomatic stature are growing fast. The US needs to nurture closer ties. America has yet to figure out whether Turkey is friend or foe. With conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan, and tsunamis in Japan and Indonesia, Turkey’s generous military and […]
Obama Pledges to Help Egypt Transition to Democracy
CTV News 02/11/2011 By CTV.ca News Staff With the stunning news Friday that Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak has officially stepped down and the military has taken over, many are watching to see exactly what role the U.S. will play in ushering in a new government. U.S. President Barack Obama promised […]
GPPAC Media Training Manual
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE PREVENTION OF ARMED CONFLICT 02/11 By Michael Shank Download Media Training Manual in ENGLISH, ARABIC, CHINESE, RUSSIAN, FRENCH, and SPANISH. PREFACE Welcome to the GPPAC’s Media Training Manual The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) is a world-wide civil society-led network which aims […]
Bush’s True Legacy in Egypt
THE HILL 02/02/11 By Michael Shank The protests in Egypt must be understood within the prism of past policy in Washington, specifically President George W. Bush’s policy. While U.S. policies in the Middle East have never been dependable, let alone consistent, many conservatives in Washington this week, including former Bush […]
A Real December Review for Afghanistan
The Nation 01/03/2011 By Greg Kaufmann The War in Afghanistan is the longest in US history [1], at 110 months, and the most expensive, at $1 million per soldier and over $100 billion annually. There have been over 2,200 [2] US and coalition casualties, and tens of thousands of Afghan […]