home > about cfr > leadership and staff > robert mcmahon
Deputy Editor
Contact Info:
E-mail: rmcmahon@cfr.org
Location:
Washington, DC
Robert McMahon has covered foreign affairs since 1990 for the Associated Press, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and now CFR.org. Based in Washington, he helps shape editorial content for CFR.org, and contributes analysis and background reporting, with an emphasis on U.S. foreign policy. His “Capital Interview” series features conversations with leading foreign policy figures in Washington. As chief political editor of CFR.org, McMahon manages coverage on CFR’s special Campaign 2008 web site, focusing on the foreign policy aspects of the U.S. presidential campaign. A former UN correspondent for RFE/RL, McMahon has expertise in international organizations and has written extensively on UN peacekeeping, human rights, and post-conflict reconstruction.
McMahon has a masters degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He has written for publications including the Foreign Service Journal, the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, the Weekly Standard, MSNBC.com, Transitions Online, and the Economist.com’s “Democracy in America” blog. He has been interviewed by the BBC, CNN International, NPR, Voice of America, and many other broadcasters and publications.
December 19, 2008
Interview
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice credits sanctions with deepening the isolation of Iran's leaders, defends regime change in Iraq, and says the Bush administration's democracy promotion agenda has changed the discourse in Mideast states.
See more in United States, Democracy Promotion
December 3, 2008
News Briefing
The international community's Mideast envoy, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, says conditions are ripe to boost the Israeli-Palestinian peace process but stresses the need to move swiftly, especially in resolving the dispute over Gaza.
See more in Israel, International Peace and Security
December 3, 2008
Backgrounder
Robert M. Gates, a Cold War veteran selected to remain as defense secretary, has won bipartisan praise for his pragmatism and handling of the Pentagon amid two wars.
See more in United States, Defense/Homeland Security
December 1, 2008
Backgrounder
Some trade advocates worry that the financial crisis and Democratic gains in Congress and the White House spell a move toward protectionism, while others believe the electoral results offer a chance for reforms in U.S. trade policy.
See more in United States, Trade
November 24, 2008
Transcript
A Council on Foreign Relations conference call with CFR senior fellows Stephen Biddle and Daniel Markey after their recent return from a trip to Afghanistan.
See more in Afghanistan, National Security and Defense
November 7, 2008
Podcast
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org and the Economist.
See more in United States, U.S. Election 2008
October 31, 2008
Daily Analysis
The economy dominated the U.S. presidential campaign, but questions of national security and American power were never far away.
See more in United States, U.S. Strategy and Politics, U.S. Election 2008
October 24, 2008
Podcast
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org and the Economist.
October 15, 2008
Daily Analysis
The impact of U.S. economic woes on foreign policy and national security programs is not yet clear, but sectors from defense to development aid are bracing for tighter budgets.
See more in United States, International Finance, Foreign Aid
October 10, 2008
Interview
Noah Feldman, CFR adjunct senior fellow and Harvard constitutional law expert, says two landmark Supreme Court rulings send conflicting messages to the world about U.S. adherence to international law.
See more in United States, International Law, Rule of Law
September 26, 2008
Daily Analysis
A financial crisis in the final stages of the U.S. presidential race, rather than sidelining foreign policy, could demonstrate how it intersects with U.S. domestic concerns.
See more in United States, Business & Foreign Policy, International Finance
September 17, 2008
Podcast
CFR's Edward Alden says a flawed U.S. approach to tightening its borders after the 9/11 terrorist attacks has harmed the country's once-admired immigration image.
See more in United States, Homeland Security, Immigration
September 9, 2008
Podcast
Georgian Vice Prime Minister Georgi Baramidze says Western support is vital for sustaining his country's economy and democracy after the loss of two separatist areas in a war with Russia.
See more in Georgia, Russian Fed., Democracy and Human Rights
September 5, 2008
Interview
A senior economic adviser to Sen. John McCain calls free trade an essential element in reviving U.S. economic fortunes.
See more in United States, Trade, Energy, U.S. Election 2008
Updated: September 4, 2008
Daily Analysis
A more aggressive domestic energy policy has emerged as a Republican Party priority, setting the stage for heightened debate with Democrats in the presidential race this fall.
See more in United States, Poland, Energy, Natural Resources Management, U.S. Election 2008
August 28, 2008
Podcast
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org and The Economist.
August 25, 2008
Daily Analysis
Both parties will use presidential conventions to boost their candidate's credentials on the economy and national security, at a time when both issues overlap.
See more in United States, National Security and Defense, Geoeconomics, U.S. Strategy and Politics, U.S. Election 2008
August 19, 2008
Daily Analysis
Russia's invasion of Georgia has rubbed raw relations with the West, complicating cooperation in several crucial areas.
See more in United States, Russian Fed., NATO, NATO
August 14, 2008
Podcast
A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org and The Economist.
See more in Pakistan, Georgia, U.S. Election 2008
Updated: August 13, 2008
Daily Analysis
Russia's offensive in Georgia, traced in part to bitterness over Kosovo's independence, stirs new concern over a chasm between Moscow and the West.
See more in Georgia, Russian Fed., Wars and Warfare
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