During my tenure as the US ambassador to Tunisia, I witnessed history unfold first hand. On January 14, 2011, the people of Tunisia overthrew 23 years of despotic…
Sultan Qaboos bin Said died recently at the age of 79. The enigmatic Sultan skillfully led Oman since he overthrew his father, with Britain’s help, in…
There are 363,000 federal workers in the greater Washington, D.C., area. In the first week of September, history turned in the office of one of them. The intelligence analyst…
President Trump and his “bull in a China shop” approach took center stage at a NATO leaders’ conference last week, as allied leaders cringed, side-stepped, and mocked their…
American diplomacy currently finds itself in a precarious position. It has had difficult moments throughout history, but diplomats’ congressional testimonies these past weeks have highlighted in stark detail…
Dear friends of ISD, All is good and bright in Nationals-ville this week. For those who may have missed it, Washington is celebrating its first World Series win in nearly…
Change was in the air in Berlin and throughout Eastern Europe back in November 1989, but the sudden fall of the Berlin Wall—that symbol of the Iron Curtain and…
Some have private planes. Others brag about their polo ponies. Then there are the ones with a direct line to the White House and a willingness to operate…
In the annals of presidential telephone communications, President Trump’s call to his Ukrainian counterpart is one that is fast making its way into the history books. It lays bare…