The growing coziness between the leaders of Venezuela and Iran should send a troubling signal to all Venezuelans — especially the diminishing but still strong segment that clings to President Hugo Chavez.
Do they not understand the disadvantages of a leader who ties himself to a regime in Tehran that is incurring global wrath and sanctions [...]

The Iranian government’s vicious crackdown on protests during recent celebrations of the country’s revolution — which stymied organizers’ plans — has tempted some analysts to conclude that the opposition is faltering. My sentiments reflect another view that could not disagree more, that of Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. She maintains that the opposition secured a [...]

What comes next in troubled Iran, especially after former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s intense sermon criticizing June’s fraudulent presidential election and the ensuing roundup of protesters?
Considering that Iranians in massive numbers are sick of repression, corruption and deprivation, offended by their government’s manipulative ways, alienated from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and eager for change, anything is [...]

In Iran, Lebanon and North Korea, a familiar lesson has played out dramatically in recent days: When freedom reigns, human life has greater importance and security; the opposite prevails under repression.
Why not start with the just-concluded sham election in Iran, a country that once experimented with genuine democratic practices? It is easy to join with [...]

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.

In dealing with Iran, I have favored caution, along with a strategy that does not hesitate to criticize but also to engage in a proactive fashion. To me, such an approach offers far more potential than the preferred method of the Bush administration, which has combined criticism with alienation. I look to the incoming Obama [...]

Just as top officials from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East were meeting in Paris this week to establish a “Union for the Mediterranean” – including a commitment to rid the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction – Iran was continuing its belligerent rant. On Sunday, Brigadier General Seyyed Mohammad Hejazi savored recent [...]

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 [...]

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in New York City this week, has been carrying on like a misunderstood child, suggesting that Americans have “incorrect information” about Iran’s intentions and vowing “to set the record straight.”
Well, I think that most people clearly see his regime for what it is: wishy-washy and duplicitous. I wish it a [...]