Tension between Iran and the West has not been higher in recent memory. The debate about military strikes and crippling economic sanctions on Iran has been confined to the issues of efficacy, limitations, and potential reaction by the Iranians. However, there is a critical matter that sheds light on the...

Self-determination can be described as the ability of individuals and groups to be able to enjoy the values of life, prosperity, freedom, and human dignity. Self-determination means to define one's own destiny; and is especially effective when involving the younger generation, the empowerment of women, and the economically disenfranchised.

Ever since I first studied the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, my career-long investigation into the best practices of crisis diplomacy has consistently led me to a singular and understated fact -- perception forms reality.

Consider the recent diplomatic flap in which the former American Ambassador to Egypt,...