David Ignatius's Blog, page 43

Biden’s options to avert disaster in Afghanistan are shrinking

A bloody collapse in Kabul would be a self-inflicted wound for Biden, and the first serious mistake of his presidency.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has become Washington’s favorite Arab leader again

In his renewed role as a representative of moderate, pro-Western Arabs, Abdullah brought several messages to Biden.

Russia and China’s hypocritical attempt to control cyberspace

A little-noticed joint Russia-China plan for Internet governance amounts to a power play for dominance of the Internet.

Russia and China are trying to control the Internet — even as they censor it

A little-noticed joint Russia-China plan for Internet governance amounts to a power play for dominance of the Internet.

Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s government in Iraq has a long way to go. But at least it’s a start.

Iraq’s prime minister’s agenda has low costs for the United States — and potentially large rewards.

The world economy is slowly rebounding. But challenges still lie ahead.

Even as tech creates new opportunities, the old problems of inequality, environmental recklessness or political stupidity pose grave risks.

As Biden’s plans struggle in Congress, his back-door actions could get a jump on reshaping the economy

The administration moves to sidestep congress with the creation of a supply chain task force that could affect everything from pharmaceuticals to semiconductors.

A criminal case against a Huawei executive poses a test for the Biden administration

A Huawei executive was detained in Canada at the request of U.S. authorities two years ago. Now it's the Biden administration's headache — and it must follow the rule of law, even against an adversary that disdains it.

Biden learned Washington as a senator. He needs a different skill set now.

In dealing with a deeply polarized Congress, the president makes mistakes when he acts like a senator rather than a disciplined chief executive.

In Afghanistan, a summer of pain awaits

As U.S. troops leave Afghanistan, President Biden has few policy options to save the tormented country from chaos. But he is duty-bound to try.