Lionel Beehner

Recent Activity

November 18, 2009
Lionel wrote Iran and Russia Rethinking Their Relationship in Undiplomatic
It looks like the Iranians have balked on their promise to ship lowly enriched uranium to Russia. One wonders if the whole thing was a ruse to tamp down the criticism that followed Pittsburgh (whe... Read More 
November 17, 2009
Lionel wrote Why Are Opposition Movements So Disorganized? in Undiplomatic
It’s becoming a familiar theme. An election is held somewhere in the developing world that is hotly contested. The opposition cries foul and demands a recount. Allegations fly as both camps dig in... Read More 
November 13, 2009
Lionel wrote Some Myths About The Afghan War in Undiplomatic
We need to disabuse ourselves of several untruths being told about our war efforts in Afghanistan. One is that we are fighting for democracy. Democracy is fine for Norway and Denmark but it is bad... Read More 
November 12, 2009
Lionel wrote Who Shot Major Hasan? in Undiplomatic
Who shot Major Hasan? It sounds like the title of a bad Simpsons episode, were the storyline not so tragic. But what unfolded last week at Fort Hood followed a predictable cable-news-friendly narr... Read More 
November 10, 2009
Lionel wrote Obama's Disastrous Af-Pak Policy in Undiplomatic
It's unbelievable, really. The US military is holding up Iraq as a model for Afghanistan. They'll tell you it took a few years to get right but by golly, Iraq is at peace with itself, with a large... Read More 

About Lionel Beehner

Lionel Beehner

Lionel Beehner is a term member and former senior writer at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a member of USA Today's Board of Contributors and frequent contributor to the New York Times Sunday Travel section. His writing has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Guardian Online, International Herald Tribune, Baltimore Sun, New York Daily News, Newsday, New Republic, New York Magazine, Slate, Seed, Foreign Policy, and Foreign Affairs Magazine. He teaches op-ed writing at Mediabistro, and is writing a book about U.S. foreign policy and non-state actors.