Washington Diplomat

European Union's New Envoy Says
Bloc Will Weather Transatlantic Storm

Trump's Fight with China Eclipses
Other Consequential Trade Agreements

China has become the frontline in President Trump's trade wars, but former U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman talks about two other consequential trade agreements, the Trans-Pacific Partnership that he helped craft and NAFTA's replacement, neither of which are done deals. Read More

With Its Territory Gone, Islamic State
Makes Inroads in Southeast Asia

The Sri Lanka Easter attacks demonstrated again that violent Islamic extremism is a growing threat in South and Southeast Asia, as the Islamic State shifts its strategy to focus on rebuilding and recruiting in new regions. Read More

U.S. Cuts to UNRWA Compound
Dire Situation in Mideast Tinderbox

In a controversial move last August, President Trump announced that he was ending U.S. funding for UNRWA — a cut of some $360 million a year, or 25 percent to 30 percent of the agency's total budget. Read More

Affluent Terrorists Challenge Idea
That Poverty Drives Extremism

The Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka that killed more than 250 people sent shockwaves around the world. But the bombers weren't impoverished, uneducated or clearly disenfranchised in any particular way. Rather, they were affluent, well-educated and, in some cases, even extremely wealthy. Read More

Burns: U.S. Diplomacy Is Sometimes
Thankless but Always Critical Job

"The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal" is thoughtful, balanced and witty as well as strikingly free from self-aggrandizement or score-settling. It is honest, informative and deeply interesting. It is also timely. Read More

Remembering Richard Lugar and
The Lost Art of Statesmanship

On April 28, Richard G. Lugar, a six-term Republican senator from Indiana, passed away at the age of 87. Washington Diplomat contributor John T. Shaw, who wrote "Richard G. Lugar, Statesman of the Senate: Crafting Foreign Policy from Capitol Hill," offers his reflections on Lugar's legacy. Read More

Hundreds Toast Journalism
At WHCD Pre-Party Event

Over 800 people attended the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Pre-Party hosted by Qatari Ambassador Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani and The Washington Diplomat at the U.S. Institute of Peace — a fitting venue to emphasize the critical role that today's media plays in supporting a peaceful world. Read More