James Morrison
Articles by James Morrison
Embassy Row: Gay envoys unpack in Australia, Dominican Republic
Two homosexual U.S. ambassadors and their partners have settled into their posts in Australia and the Dominican Republic — both nations that ban gay marriages. Published November 26, 2013
Embassy Row: ‘Secret recording’ enrages ambassador
Even skilled diplomats sometimes stumble, especially when they think the microphones are off. U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland in the former Soviet republic of Georgia found himself sputtering in outrage over comments he made earlier this month to students at Tbilisi State University in the capital of the Black Sea nation. Published November 24, 2013
Embassy Row: Refugee camp is Iran and America’s shame
Members of Congress and former diplomats Thursday invoked John F. Kennedy, the civil rights movement and Thanksgiving as they called on President Obama to keep America's promise to protect Iranian dissidents languishing in an Iraqi refugee camp. Published November 21, 2013
Embassy Row: Delusions of U.S.-Pakistan relationship
After 66 years of bilateral ties, U.S.-Pakistani relations are still based on delusions — and Husain Haqqani is on a campaign to correct the diplomatic self-deceptions. Published November 19, 2013
Embassy Row: Ambassador doings in Japan, Ireland and Dominican Republic
The Irish feel betrayed, the Japanese are honored and gay advocates are happy. Published November 17, 2013
Embassy Row: Best of times, worst of times with Mexico
For Mexico's former ambassador to the U.S., the hot-and-cold relationship between the two countries reminds him of the Dickens novel "A Tale of Two Cities." Published November 14, 2013
Embassy Row: Rumors in Russia about U.S. ambassador leaving
U.S. Ambassador Michael A. McFaul is battling widespread rumors in Moscow that he plans to resign this week from a diplomatic post he has held for fewer than two years. Published November 12, 2013
Embassy Row: French ‘backbone’ on Iran deal
France has made a scheduled congressional hearing on Iran this week more interesting than promised.Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius early Sunday scuttled a deal pushed by the U.S. and other Western nations to get Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment in exchange for easing some crippling economic sanctions. Published November 10, 2013
Embassy Row: In Saudi Arabia, Obama viewd as a ‘paper tiger president’
President Obama is losing respect in Saudi Arabia and risks U.S. influence in the entire Middle East, where Russia is posed to pounce, the head of an independent Saudi-based think tank warned Thursday. Published November 7, 2013
Embassy Row: A work in progress in Azerbaijan
The U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan was diplomatic but firm in a post-election interview in the former Soviet republic, which has been dominated by a father-son regime widely criticized as autocratic but widely courted as a pro-Western nation with vast energy resources. Published November 5, 2013
Embassy Row: Charges of U.S. spying erupt in Asia
The U.S. spying scandal is spreading to Asia, where the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia have chastised American diplomats and publicly denounced the National Security Agency. Published November 3, 2013
Embassy Row: 25 years after Lockerbie, Scots hear outrage over release of bomber
The United States was outraged over Britain's decision four years ago to release the Libyan terrorist convicted of planning an airline bombing that killed 189 Americans, U.S. Ambassador Matthew Barzun told a Scottish reporter this week as the 25th anniversary of the 1988 Lockerbie attack approaches. Published October 31, 2013
Embassy Row: Who lost Egypt?
President Obama's moves to downgrade relations with Egypt are encouraging the military-backed government in one of America's major Middle East allies to rekindle ties with Russia. Published October 29, 2013
Embassy Row: Appeal to Obama regarding Iranian dissidents
Three dozen former U.S. officials are urging President Obama, who meets Friday with Iraq's prime minister, to demand that the prime minister release seven kidnapped Iranian dissidents and help relocate thousands of others guaranteed U.S. protection at a refugee camp in Baghdad. Published October 27, 2013
Embassy Row: Israel’s Oren speaks out
Former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren is worried that the United States is withdrawing from foreign affairs and he doubts that U.S. efforts to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians will calm tensions in the Middle East. Published October 24, 2013
Embassy Row: Canada’s oil headed to China?
A former U.S. ambassador to Canada is warning President Obama that China could gain a major source of fuel if he continues to oppose an oil pipeline from Alberta to Texas. Published October 22, 2013
Embassy Row: Tunnel terror in Israel
The U.S. ambassador to Israel was astounded when he peered into a tunnel for terrorists dug from the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip into the Jewish state. Published October 20, 2013
Embassy Row: Pressing Ukraine on Tymoshenko
The U.S. and the European Union sent a strong diplomatic signal to Ukraine this week by linking improved trade relations to the release of the ailing pro-Western opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. Published October 17, 2013
Embassy Row: Gay diplomacy
Aggressively promoting a homosexual agenda abroad, the Obama administration recently denounced Serbia for canceling a gay pride parade, expressing strong diplomatic displeasure at the culturally conservative Balkan nation. Published October 15, 2013
Embassy Row: Broken promises on Iranian dissidents
Michael B. Mukasey feels betrayed. The attorney general under President George W. Bush gave his personal assurance to the president of the Iranian resistance that its dissidents would be protected by Iraqi troops, not massacred by Iraqi gunmen. Published October 13, 2013