"Going forward, the United States has no choice but to embrace the sound underpinnings of leading from behind," writes Leslie H. Gelb.

Obama is right not to rush to war, given our checkered past on the use of chemical weapons and the sinkhole of hatreds in Syria, writes Leslie H. Gelb.

Leslie H. Gelb contrasts the warm relationship between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel this week with political and diplomatic realities.

In light of Afghan president Karzai's recent comments, Leslie H. Gelb advocates an expedited withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Leslie H. Gelb says all parties involved share some responsibility for the crisis in Gaza. But Hamas is by far the biggest villain.

The myth about how the United States won the Cuban missile crisis made it more difficult for presidents to do what common sense dictated, says CFR president emeritus Les Gelb.

Fifty years later, the effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis linger still because of the persistent effects of one lie—that JFK won the day without compromising, writes Leslie H. Gelb in Foreign Policy.

Ignore the commentariat: Susan Rice isn't to blame for the complicated intelligence process following the Benghazi attack, writes Leslie H. Gelb in Newsweek.

Obama acquitted himself well under terrible circumstances, but he must get to the bottom of the last week's five unresolved puzzles, from Libyan warnings to complicit guards, writes Leslie H. Gelb.

Watch out, Wall Street: former Fed chair Paul Volcker takes aim at greedy bankers, a weak financial system, and a flawed Ryan plan in an exclusive interview for Newsweek with Leslie H. Gelb.

In Newsweek, Leslie H. Gelb weaves surprising lessons on when to make war and peace from interviews with Ryan Crocker, former Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Leslie H. Gelb says Obama captured the political center at home on foreign policy – a feat for a Democrat – because he avoided costly mistakes abroad. He understood the limits of U.S. power, but not its strengths when encased in a good strategy, and thus failed to achieve solutions to big problems abroad.

Leslie H. Gelb says Kofi Annan's mission in Damascus was doomed from the start. Obama should not try to fill the void—but rather leave that mostly to Syria's neighbors.

Leslie H. Gelb reviews The Obamians: The Struggle Inside the White House to Redefine American Power by James Mann.

Leslie H. Gelb says it's good riddance that President Obama's talk of shifting from Europe to Asia faded as the G8 and NATO meetings loomed.

Leslie H. Gelb says Mitt Romney's foreign policy strategy is an attempt to blend all Republican viewpoints.

Leslie H. Gelb discusses who might replace Hillary Clinton as the next U.S. secretary of state.

Leslie H. Gelb says military confrontations loom for President Obama in Iran, Syria, and North Korea, and he can't head them off with the usual duet of threats and talks.

Leslie H. Gelb argues that the world is distracted, and North Korea, South Korea, and the United States are stumbling, once again, toward a nuclear confrontation.

Leslie H. Gelb says President Obama will wait until after the election to speed up U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.