Robert J. Callahan

Kurdish Syrian civilians flee the town of Kobani on the Turkish border on October 16, 2019 as Turkey and its allies continue their assault on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria.

Commentary: Imagine trying to be a U.S. diplomat under Donald Trump, who blots out American values and promises on a whim

October 16, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

For 32 years as an American diplomat, I knew what I would do and say when I went to work. Under Democrats and Republicans, I would promote democracy and free...

President-elect Donald Trump talks to the media while joined by his wife Melania Trump, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after a meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 10, 2016, in Washington, D.C.

A look at the Trump administration through the eyes of a diplomat

May 11, 2019 at 8:44 a.m.

Would you work for Donald Trump? Would you promote his policies, such as they are, to a foreign government and its citizens? Or would you, on principle, refuse to do...

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves to Members of the Atlantic City casino workers union members outside the Taj Mahal Casino after a event in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on July 6, 2016.

While Hillary Clinton slides, diplomats are held to tight rules

May 11, 2019 at 8:28 a.m.

Hillary and Bill Clinton, some argue, expect to be held to a different, more elastic standard than the rest of us. They get away with behavior that might get other...

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at the Trump Soho Hotel in New York on June 22, 2016.

A diplomat’s challenge: Explaining Donald Trump to the world

May 11, 2019 at 8:26 a.m.

How would you explain Donald Trump to a foreign audience? Could it be done in a coherent way? Could it be done at all? To citizens at home, this may...

French Muslims pray on July 28, 2014, in a hall of the Parc Chanot in Marseille, southern France.

Must French Muslims be a population apart?

May 11, 2019 at 7:04 a.m.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks by Muslim militants in Paris, which killed 17 and wounded many others, pundits have come forward to speculate on causes and motives. While...

China's President Xi Jinping will meet with President Barack Obama this weekend in California. China might assume a more assertive role in persuading North Korea to act rationally and abandon its nuclear-arms push.

Obama and Xi’s agenda

May 14, 2019 at 9:41 a.m.

Maybe Dennis Rodman had a soothing effect on North Korea's chubby dictator during his visit to the Hermit Kingdom earlier this year, even though we now know that Kim Jong...

Living like royalty in militaryland

December 25, 2018 at 11:08 a.m.

The unfolding tale of a spy chief, bickering socialites, flirtatious emails and possessive paramours seems to be more soap opera than Sophocles. This is especially true if, as appears to...

The precarious life of a diplomat

December 24, 2018 at 5:41 p.m.

Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador to Libya who was killed in Benghazi by an enraged mob of religious fanatics, gave his life for his country and in the pursuit of...

IS IT ONLY A GAME?

August 9, 2021 at 6:54 p.m.

The players have walked. The ballparks are silent. Big deal, some say, it's just a game. And so it is, although it's a game that can loom large in the...

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