So, the administration says that ‘official unemployment’ falls to 9.7% from 10.0% but that the economy still shed 20,000 jobs.

Actually, he hasn’t yet, but Obama should. The Obama team has not had a very good month. From GITMO to health care, to bickering behind the scenes about Paul Volcker’s bank regulation efforts, to China policy, and making any progress on any international initiatives, the administration’s “magic” has been collapsing.

In this short interview during his Washington visit, Kenya VP Kalonzo “Steven” Musyoka speaks impressively about his participation in the National Prayer Breakfast, about concerns on Kenya’s border in Somalia, about the limits of military responses in failing state situations, and about the views of Kenyans toward US President Barack Obama.

The New America Foundation/Iran Initiative is hosting an event today to discuss what the Iranian public really thinks on key issues and the implications for US foreign policy. Since the Iranian elections last June, there has been no shortage of commentary surrounding Iranian public opinion, but comparatively little evidence-based analysis. WorldPublicOpinion.

NOTE; THE START OF THE EVENT HAS BEEN PUSHED TO 10:15 AM EST The New America Foundation/American Strategy Program is hosting an event today featuring the Kenyan Vice President Kalonzo Stephen Musyoka, as well as the Speaker of Kenya’s National Assembly Kenneth Otiato Marende and Kenya’s Minister of Cooperative Development and Marketing Joseph W.N. Nyagah….

(An Iranian bank note modified by Green Movement member; A re-write of a saying on the left side, which says ‘Iranian people will find “knowledge” no matter where – Prophet Muhammad’ – changed to say ‘Iranian people will find “justice” no matter where’; photo credit: NIAC Insight) This is a guest note exclusive to The…

(US President Barack Obama chairing a historic session of the United Nations Security Council on 24 September 2009) There is a giddiness that has taken hold in some foreign policy circles in Washington that the Obama administration is showing more courage all of a sudden and is finally breaking away from its courtship of China…

Today’s altogether unsurprising (and not necessarily consequential) announcement from the al-Shabaab group in Somalia that they have joined al Qaeda will undoubtedly focus attention on the extremist group and their ongoing battle with Somalia’s embattled provisional government.

Signs in Arabic, Tamazight and French outside of Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. This post originally appeared at The Majlis Blog. A recent Fox News blog post advertising the possibility of a “new ally in the war against al-Qaeda” stopped me dead in my tracks. The article suggests that the U.S.

China America is going to experiment with a tougher line with China. Helene Cooper has a very insightful piece in today’s New York Times (which is great despite quoting this writer) that notes that the Clinton and GW Bush administrations started off badly with China and then moved into a smoother course.