Tomorrow’s conference at The Hague – bringing together almost one hundred countries, international and non-governmental organizations – represents an important step in implementing a comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan that recognizes that American interests cannot be secured through military force alone.  Afghanistan’s neighbors including Pakistan, Iran, Russia, India, China and the Gulf States all have significant interests in the country.  If they are not engaged to play a productive and positive role, there is little chance that Afghanistan can be stabilized.

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Despite attempts by the Bush administration to tout its legacy, it is very clear that President Bush is bequeathing his successor eight years of incompetence and failed policies that have left America significantly weaker.

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With America facing two wars and a global economic crisis of nearly unprecedented severity, it is tempting to relegate matters in Latin America to the back-burner. But for the last eight years, the Bush administration has pursued an episodic and ideological approach that ignored the concerns of countries in the regions. The consequences have been troubling. A new report from the Brookings Institution on the future of U.S. - Latin American relations argues that the U.S. must become a full partner in the affairs in its own hemisphere.

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Barack Obama’s victory was greeted with massive enthusiasm and support from around the world. Obama's election as the 44th President of the United States presents an important opportunity to repair our relationship with our allies and restore America’s image around the globe.

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In recent months pirates have successfully pulled off a number of high profile hijackings off the Horn of Africa. The most dramatic recent incident involves the hijacking of a Saudi supertanker with 2 million barrels of oil. These activities represent a threat to the international system and could hamper trade, significantly raise shipping costs, and impact world oil prices.

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There are few things more unnerving, even on Halloween, than Senator McCain’s positions on foreign policy. The area was supposed to be a major McCain strength, but over the course of this campaign it has become increasingly clear that McCain holds extremely neoconservative positions.

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Nick Burns, the former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs and highest ranking career diplomat in the Bush administration from 2004-2007, has become the latest foreign policy expert to oppose McCain’s refusal to talk with our enemies. After eight years of reckless foreign policy and ineffective diplomacy, the American public is looking for someone who acts smart instead of just talking tough.

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