Foreign Policy in Focus

Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF) is a “think tank without walls” connecting the research and action of more than 600 scholars, advocates, and activists seeking to make the United States a more responsible global partner.

FPIF provides timely analysis of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs and recommends policy alternatives. We believe U.S. security and world stability are best advanced through a commitment to peace, justice, and environmental protection, as well as economic, political, and social rights. We advocate that diplomatic solutions, global cooperation, and grassroots participation guide foreign policy.

FPIF aims to amplify the voice of progressives and to build links with social movements in the U.S. and around the world. Through these connections, we advance and influence debate and discussion among academics, activists, policy-makers, and the general public.

Latest Work

The Latin American Gorilla

Latin America itself got scarcely a mention in the U.S. presidential campaign, but a new generation of voters has put it on the agenda.

Bulgaria’s New Left

A major change that has taken place in East-Central Europe in the last few years is the emergence of a new left.

Gaza: The Light Doesn’t Get Much Greener

The Obama administration gave Israel the go-ahead to escalate in Gaza.

Obama: The Legacy Term?

Obama’s real legacy could be accepting America’s changing place in the world.

Leveraging Operation Pillar of Defense Into an Attack on Iran

The Netanyahu administration stands poised to use Iran’s real or imagined influence over Hamas, as well as Iron Dome’s effectiveness, as justification for attacking Iran.

Jabari Assassination Brought Hamas Negotiations to Premature End

Israeli last to know that his negotiations with Ahmed Jabari were as doomed as the man.

Israel Takes Out Its Frustration About Iran on Gaza

To Israel, Gaza stands in for Iran as an attack surrogate.

Obama Poised to Dine with Architects of Burma’s Ethnic Cleansing

The U.S. government has decided to lift the economic and diplomatic pressure that made reform in Burma possible.

China’s Transformation: A Southeast Asian Perspective

A Southeast Asian radical looks back on China’s transformation.

Israel’s Real-World Flame War

The vapidity that often characterizes social media makes it the perfect vehicle to advertise the IDF’s senseless attacks on Gaza.

Hamas in the New Middle East

The Arab Awakening has made short work of Hamas’ longstanding alliance with Bashar al-Assad.

Israel Ups the Stakes With Assassination of Jaabari

Ahmad Jaabari negotiated the ceasefire that had mostly held over much of the last year.

Will Obama Back Israeli Punishment of Palestinians for U.N. Overture?

If the General Assembly approves Palestine’s application for non-member status, Israel’s isolation from the international community would only grow.

Equatorial Guinea Briefly Disappears Dissident

President Obiang only adds to its reputation as one of the world’s most corrupt, unjust nations.

Review: Working for Peace and Justice

Lawrence Wittner’s captivating and honest memoir reveals a man unflappably devoted to peace and justice.

Is the Cat Out of the Bag on Israel?

Growing international awareness of the Israeli occupation has heralded a shift among the U.S. Jewish community away from Israel.

The U.S. and the Middle East: The Next Four Years

To begin with, the United States should drop the demand for regime change in Syria.

Cost of War: An Interview with Tulsi Gabbard

A no-softballs interview with the woman who will be the first Hindu member of Congress.

Protecting Whistleblowers at the UN

The UN needs to do more to promote the rule of law within its own ranks.

Attacks on First Responders Transform Criminality of Drone Strikes to Sadism

The term “double tapping” fails to do justice to a military tactic that’s arguably sociopathic.