Elizabeth Shackelford – Page 10

A U.S. Marine covers the face of a statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with the American flag in Baghdad's Firdos Square on April 9, 2003. Twenty years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq toppled Hussein, the oil-rich country remains deeply scarred by the conflict and, while closer to the United States, far from the liberal democracy Washington had envisioned.

Elizabeth Shackelford: As the Iraq War showed, the allure of consensus in foreign policy can be dangerous

March 23, 2023 at 11:39 a.m.

With the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Iraq War, I'm reminded of the remarkable consensus behind that decision, which passed with strong bipartisan support. Experts, journalists and well-known...

United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim stands at the lectern after introducing President Jimmy Carter, who is approaching the speaker's stand in New York on March 17, 1977. The president addressed the General Assembly, putting a strong emphasis on human rights, and was given a standing ovation following his 30-minute address.

Elizabeth Shackelford: Jimmy Carter was right about human rights

March 9, 2023 at 10:07 a.m.

When I first joined the U.S. State Department's Foreign Service, I was optimistic about the positive role the United States played in the world. By the time I left not...

President Joe Biden walks next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Biden arrives for a historic visit in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 20, 2023.

Elizabeth Shackelford: Ukraine’s outsized reliance on the US is a risk for the world

February 23, 2023 at 10:44 a.m.

One year into Russia's assault on Ukraine, a few things are clear. Ukraine remains highly motivated, punching well above its weight against a far bigger and more experienced foe. The...

Elizabeth Shackelford: Is China really scarier than Zuckerberg?

February 9, 2023 at 11:32 a.m.

A colleague recently sent me a TikTok she thought I'd find interesting. I clicked the link but immediately regretted it. I quickly cleared my browser history but felt it was...

A banner of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a protest backing Burkina Faso's president, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, and demanding the departure of France's ambassador and military forces, in the capital of Ouagadougou on Jan. 20, 2023.

Elizabeth Shackelford: Why the Wagner Group’s influence in West Africa is growing

January 26, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

France has waged a counterterrorism campaign in the small West African country of Burkina Faso since 2018. But on Jan. 20, hundreds of protesters in the capital city of Ouagadougou...

Visitors tour past military vehicles carrying the Dong Feng 41 and DF-17 ballistic missiles at an exhibition highlighting President Xi Jinping and his China's achievements under his leadership, at the Beijing Exhibition Hall in Beijing on Oct. 12, 2022.

Elizabeth Shackelford: Let’s avoid another nuclear arms race

January 12, 2023 at 11:36 a.m.

In an annual exercise since 1947, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists sets its Doomsday Clock to provide an educated guess of how close humanity is to the apocalypse. The...

A delivery of equipment and munitions provided by the U.S. arrives at Kyiv Boryspil Airport in Boryspil, Ukraine, on Jan. 25, 2022.

Elizabeth Shackelford: Pentagon can’t balance its books but gets a budget boost anyway

December 15, 2022 at 11:23 a.m.

National defense is expensive, but more money doesn't necessarily mean greater security. Unfortunately, more money seems to be the only way Congress knows how to show it cares. Once again,...

A man stands under American and Saudi Arabian flags prior to a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden, at a square in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 14, 2022, ahead of a visit by Biden. The United States continues to provide military support and weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, even as Saudi Arabia's crippling blockade on Yemen continues, as does its widespread oppression at home.

Elizabeth Shackelford: Making the case for a stronger US commitment to human rights

December 1, 2022 at 11:33 a.m.

On Dec. 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in what is considered a groundbreaking moment for rights around the world. It recognized that everyone...

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., at an event on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2022. McCarthy, the top House Republican, said that if his party wins a majority, its members would be unwilling to "write a blank check" to Ukraine, suggesting it could be more difficult for President Joe Biden to get congressional approval for large infusions of aid to bolster the country's war against Russia.

Elizabeth Shackelford: Will US foreign policy change after the midterms?

November 17, 2022 at 11:13 a.m.

Though foreign policy played no real role in the outcome of the midterm elections, that outcome matters for foreign policy. Friends and allies around the world are likely breathing a...

President Joe Biden is escorted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, center right, as he arrives at the al-Salam palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15, 2022.

Elizabeth Shackelford: Partnering with autocrats is risky business

November 3, 2022 at 12:30 p.m.

The decades-old partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia has just been put to the test. It failed with flying colors. The partnership was always based on a simple...

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