Michael O'Hanlon, USA Today: Mike Pompeo has an opportunity to shake up Russia, China policy, reform State Department
President Trump's decision to ask the Senate to confirm CIA Director Mike Pompeo as the new secretary of State, replacing Rex Tillerson, is unsurprising. Rumors to this effect have been floating around for months. But it is still an important moment to take stock of where we are in U.S. foreign policy, as Pompeo prepares to take the reins at a crucial moment in world affairs.
First, a word of appreciation for Tillerson. It is too bad to see a good man forced to leave office after just over a year on the job. Such a short tenure is not usually associated with success. Other individuals who have lasted only a year or so in top administration jobs — such as President Clinton's first head of the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, or CIA Director Porter Goss in President George W. Bush's administration, or President Reagan's first few national security advisers — usually recede fairly quickly in the annals of history. Tillerson deserves credit, however. He displayed good judgment on a number of key issues such as Iran and North Korea, projected steadiness in handling various crises around the world, was level-headed about how to deal with great powers like Russia and China, and forged a good working relationship with other members of the Trump team like Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis (if not necessarily with Trump himself).
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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 13, 2018
Pompeo Could Succeed Where Tillerson Failed -- Bloomberg editorial
Will Pompeo Turn the State Department Around? -- Danielle Pletka, National Interest
Tillerson Refused to Do Another Russia Deal -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg
With Pompeo's rise, uncertainty deepens for Iran nuclear deal -- Arshad Mohammed, John Irish, Robin Emmott, Reuters
Tillerson sacking spells doom for Iran nuclear deal -- AFP
Tillerson's Exit Hurts Iran Deal, But Not Korea Talks -- Eli Lake, Bloomberg
Australia-Indonesia border tensions resurface -- Alan Boyd, Asia Times
Why ousted Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif turned against the powerful military -- Shamil Shams (Interview) (DW)
Massive protest in Mumbai shakes up Modi government -- Kanchan Srivastava, Asia Times
The Skripal Case Follows an Old Soviet Script -- Leonid Bershidsky , Bloomberg
From polonium to a poisoned umbrella: mysterious fates of Kremlin foes -- Reuters
Russian Spy's Poisoning: Where Does PM May Go from Here? -- David Johnson, National Interest
As Angela Merkel embarks on fourth term as chancellor, what's new? -- Ben Knight, DW
The Sinn Fein question: could the party stop a hard Brexit? -- Martin Fletcher, Spectator
As Brexit starts to bite, more and more Brits are selling up and leaving Spain -- El Pais
