Pakistan's Swat Valley is quiet once again. Often compared to
Switzerland for its stunning landscape of mountains and meadows, Swat
became a war zone over the past two years as Taliban fighters waged fierce
battles against the Pakistani army. The fighting ceased because the
Pakistani government has agreed to some of the militants' key demands,
chiefly that Islamic courts be established in the region. Fears abound that
this means girls schools will be destroyed, movies will be banned and
public beheadings will become a regular occurrence.

Continue »

As George W. Bush's term ended, he had few defenders left in the
world of foreign policy. Mainstream commentators almost unanimously agreed
the Bush years had been marked by arrogance and incompetence. "Mr. Bush's
characteristic failing was to apply a black-and-white mind-set to too many
gray areas of national security and foreign affairs," The Post
editorialized. Even Richard Perle, the neoconservative guru, acknowledged
recently that "Bush mostly failed to implement an effective foreign and
defense policy." There was hope that President Obama would abandon some of
his predecessor's rigid ideological stances.

In its first 50 days, the Obama administration has naturally been
consumed by the economic crisis, but it has nevertheless made some striking
shifts in foreign policy. Obama announced the closure of Guantanamo and the
end of any official sanction for torture. He gave his first interview as
president to an Arab network and spoke of the importance of respect when
dealing with the Muslim world -- a gesture that won him rave reviews from
normally hostile Arab journalists and politicians.

Continue »