Peter W. Galbraith, the author of The End of Iraq and Unintended Consequences: How War in Iraq Strengthened America’s Enemies, formerly served as a U.S. ambassador to Croatia. He discussed global challenges for the United States with foreign-affairs columnist John C. Bersia.

Some critics have described President George W. Bush’s just-concluded swing through Europe as irrelevant, contending that the region essentially disregards him. Moreover, the critics continue, his visit bordered on delusional. After years of tension, how could Bush possibly have had the nerve to walk the streets of European capitals with such confidence and toss out [...]

WASHINGTON – Although I sympathize with the Tibetans here who have protested President George W. Bush’s plans to attend the Olympics’ opening ceremony in Beijing this August, the options for world leaders go well beyond the two extremes of gleeful participation in and angry avoidance of the games.
In an attempt to justify his decision, Bush [...]

To confront Iran, two serious approaches compete for attention. The favorite of the Bush administration — the criticize-and-alienate strategy — has demonstrated limited utility. The other — the criticize-and-engage strategy — has yet to be fully tested but offers greater potential for resolving tensions.
Disappointingly, President Bush has wasted no opportunity to lash out at [...]

Will President George W. Bush’s eleventh-hour visit to the Middle East this week deliver more than photo opportunities?
One might be tempted to say no, based on the low expectations that emanate from virtually all directions. With the right effort, though – that is, demonstrating some humility, advancing a future vision for the region and downplaying [...]

At the beginning of President George W. Bush’s first term, many Chinese wanted to know: Why does Bush dislike us? Is China losing the United States?
Now, as Bush’s second term begins to wind down, the current issue of Foreign Affairs provocatively asks: “Is China Winning Asia?”

Will Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cheer the Bush administration’s foreign-policy record as much in her next job as she did last week?
That question kept pushing others aside as I reviewed Rice’s spirited defense of how the Bush team has handled global affairs. She concluded that the world is a safer place today than it [...]